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INDIA 

AWAKENING 


Sherwood  Erfdy 


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Purchased   by  the  Hamill   Missionary   Fund. 


BV  3265  .E4  1911 

Eddy,  Sherwood,  1871-1963 

India  awakening 


INDIA  AWAKENING 


(N.  B.— ^p^cial  helps  and  denominational  literature  for  this 
course  can  be  obtained  by  corresponding  with  the  Secretary  of 
your  Mission  Board  or  Society.) 


SHERWOOD    EDDY 

Starting  on  tour  for  the   monthly  round  of  the  Station 


^ 


FORWARD  MISSION  STUDY  COURSES 

EDITED  UNDER  THE  DIRECTION  OF  THE 

MISSIONARY  EDUCATION  MOVEMENT 


INDIA  AWAKENING 


C^  ':  2  Y  . 


BY        V- 

SHERWOOD  EDDY 


NEW  YORK 

MISSIONARY  EDUCATION  MOVEMENT 

OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  AND  CANADA 

I9II 


Copyright,  191  i,  by 

Missionary  Education  Movement 

New  York 


COISTTEKTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

Editorial  Statement ix 

Preface xi 

I     The  People  of  India 1 

II    Eeligions 27 

III     The  National  Awakening 55 

IV     Individual  and  Mass  Movements 83 

V     The  Students    Ill 

VI    Womanhood 137 

VII     The  Church  and  the  Missionary 163 

VIII     The  Winning  of  India 191 

Questions  and  References 221 

APPENDIXES 

51'    ^rea    and    Population    of    British    Provinces    and 

Native  States,  1901  241 

B  Distribution  of  Christians  by  Eace  and  Denomi- 
nation      242 

C     Distribution   of   Population  According   to   Eeligion 

and  Education,  1901 243 

D     Some    of   the   Principal    Occupations    upon   Which 

Persons  Depend  for  a  Living 244 

E    Abstract     Statement     of     Colleges,     Schools,     and 

Scholars  in  the  Several  Provinces  of  British  India  245 

F  Colleges,  Schools,  and  Scholars  in  the  Several  Prov- 
inces of  British  India  under  Public  Management  246 

G     Girls    under    Instruction    Classified    According    to 

Eace  or  Creed 248 

V 


▼i  APPENDIXES 

PAGE 

H    Private  Institutions 248 

I    Pupils  in  Institutions  of  All  Classes  by  Race   or 

Creed 249 

J    Prayer  at  the  National  Congress 249 

K    Bibliography 250 

L    Statistics  of  Protestant  Missions  in  India 259 

Index 261 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

Sherwood   Eddy    Frontispiece 

Chart — Languages  of  India Page     8 

Hon.  V.  Krishnaswami  Iyer **  14 

Famine  of  1900 — Bodies  on  Funeral  Pyre **  24 

A  Typical  Hindu  Temple "  34 

Devotee  with  Iron  Collar — Village  Devil — Priest,  Mon- 
key, and  Dog  in   Monkey  Temple **  46 

Map — British   Provinces   and    Native  States **  73 

Surendra  Nath  Bannerjea *  *  78 

New  Converts  from  Six  Castes , "  86 

Band  of  Converted  Fakirs    *'  86 

New  Converts  from  Seven  Castes *  *  86 

Church  at  Mengnanapuran,  Tinnevelli  District *  *  90 

Map — Fields  of  Five  Mass  Movements *'  99 

High-Caste    Hindu  Convert  ' '  108 

Pastor  Who  Became  Chief  Officer  of  Town * '  108 

Eev.    Francis    Kingsbury    '  *  130 

Madras  Student  Camp   * '  134 

Child  Marriage '*  146 

Dancing  Girl ''  152 

Low-Caste  Woman "  152 

Chundra  Lela   "  158 

Native  Preachers  **  176 

Preaching  by  the  Wayside   **  176 

Rev.  V.  S.  Azariah. ''  204 

One  of  the  ' '  Occupied  ' '  Fields  of  India "  207 

Colored  Political  Map  of  India  Showing  Christian  Mis- 
sion Stations  End 

vii 


EDITORIAL  STATEMENT 

It  is  understood  by  authors  of  text-books  prepared 
for  the  Missionary  Education  Movement  that  their 
manuscripts  are  to  be  revised,  if  necessary,  in  con- 
sultation with  the  Editorial  Committee  of  the  Move- 
ment so  as  to  render  them  most  effective  for  use  in 
study  class  work.  Mr.  Eddy,  the  author  of  this 
book,  being  in  India  and  therefore  unable  to  consult 
with  the  committee  personally,  gave  the  committee 
permission  to  make  whatever  alterations  it  thought 
best.  Accordingly,  Chapters  I  and  II  have  been 
largely  rewritten,  in  order  to  supply  a  background 
of  the  principles  underlying  the  social  and  religious 
conditions  of  India,  and  a  number  of  explanatory 
insertions  have  been  made  in  the  other  chapters  to- 
gether with  some  rearrangement.  For  some  of  these 
insertions  the  committee  is  indebted  to  Bishop  W.  F. 
Oldham,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

As  a  result  of  considerable  experience,  the  com- 
mittee has  abandoned  the  idea  of  attempting  a  treat- 
ment of  all  the  most  important  phases  of  missionary 
work  in  India.  Multiplication  of  topics  means  con- 
densation and  consequent  loss  of  vividness  and  detail. 
This  book  does  not  pretend  to  be  more  than  a  series  of 
studies  on  special  phases  of  its  subject.  The  illus- 
trations are  taken  from  the  author's  personal  expe- 


X  EDITORIAL  STATEMENT 

rience,  and  do  not  claim  to  be  the  most  important  and 
representative  that  could  be  selected  from  the  whole 
range  of  missionary  work. 

The  committee  wish  to  express  their  appreciation  of 
Mr.  Eddy's  generous  confidence  in  their  judgment, 
and  their  regret  that  he  could  not  have  been  consulted 
in  the  details  of  revision. 


PKEFACB 

The  writing  of  this  volume  has  been  a  labor  of  love, 
and  has  taken  me  in  thought  a  hundred  times  across 
the  sea  to  the  land  that  I  love  and  to  which  I  shall 
return  in  a  few  weeks. 

Although  there  has  been  nothing  worth  recording 
in  my  own  work  in  India,  I  have  had  an  exceptional 
opportunity  of  getting  a  bird's-eye  view  of  the  work 
of  the  missionaries  all  over  the  Empire  during  the 
last  fourteen  years.  For  the  first  five  years,  as  Col- 
lege Secretary  of  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation and  of  the  Student  Volunteer  Movement  of 
India  and  Ceylon,  my  work  in  English  took  me 
throughout  the  whole  of  India.  Feeling,  however, 
that  the  heart  of  the  missionary  problem  lay  in  the 
Native  Church  and  in  the  vernacular,  I  commenced 
the  study  of  Tamil,  as  that  language  more  than  any 
other  would  bring  me  into  contact  with  the  largest 
number  of  Christians.  After  living  in  tents  with  a 
band  of  theological  students  for  a  year,  I  took  a  station 
out  among  the  masses.  At  present,  as  National  Evan- 
gelistic Secretary  of  the  Young  Men 's  Christian  Asso- 
ciation, I  devote  the  greater  part  of  my  time  to  travel- 
ing work  among  the  colleges,  and  to  evangelistic  mis- 
sions throughout  the  Tamil  Church.  My  home,  how- 
ever, is  out  among  the  people,  many  miles  from  the 


x5  PEEFACE 

nearest  white  man,  and  I  am  responsible,  when  I 
am  not  traveling,  for  the  joint  care  of  a  large  station 
containing  about  5,000  Christians  and  half  a  million 
Hindus  and  Mohammedans.  I  have  endeavored  to 
give  descriptions  of  actual  mission  work,  illustrative 
biographical  material,  and  concrete  instances  which 
would  illustrate  the  problems  connected  with  mis- 
sion work. 

In  addition  to  the  usual  authorities  and  sources  con- 
sulted, especial  thanks  are  due  to  help  received  from 
my  dear  Indian  friend  and  feUow  worker,  Mr.  Aza- 
riah,  to  Mr.  Datta's  The  Desire  of  India,  and  to  my 
friend  Mr.  Farquhar  for  his  numerous  and  illuminat- 
ing articles  on  the  life  and  religion  of  the  people, 
which  have  been  especially  helpful.  The  generous 
hospitality  and  help  of  Mr.  Charles  Alexander,  of 
Birmingham,  have  made  possible  the  production  of 
the  manuscript  in  the  short  time  at  my  disposal. 

This  book  goes  forth  as  a  poor  plea  for  a  great  peo- 
ple. At  the  worst,  the  facts  must  speak  for  them- 
selves, and  the  people  of  this  great  land  will  make 
their  own  appeal  to  heart  and  conscience.  The  book 
is  written,  not  to  discuss  a  subject,  but  to  attain  an 
object;  and  that  object  will  have  failed  if  it  does 
not  lead  to  definite  action  on  behalf  of  India. 

Sherwood  Eddy. 

Birmingham,  England,  July  20, 1910. 


THE    PEOPLE    OF    INDIA 


Human  life  is  of  little  value  in  India.  Lives  are  spent  in  grinding 
poverty  and  bitter  toil,  and  even  the  power  of  aspiration  seems 
to  be  talcen  from  men.  Villages  are  blotted  out  by  famine  and 
pestilence,  and  yet  the  people  do  not  pause  to  inquire  whether 
such  tragedy  is  preventable.  In  the  plague-stricken  areas,  when  the 
disease  is  at  its  height,  some  may  attempt  to  escape,  but  the  bulk  of 
the  population  quietly  awaits  its  doom.  The  villagers  look  into  the 
faces  of  their  companions  and  wonder  which  of  them  will  be  next 
struck  down.  There  are  thousands  of  children  to  whom  the  oppor- 
tunity of  life  is  never  given,  hundreds  of  women  who  perish  pre- 
maturely, worn  out  with  their  toil,  whom  early  marriage,  neglect, 
and  unhygienic  surroundings  have  killed.  Not  one  of  us  who  believe 
in  the  eternal  value  of  the  individual  soul  can  view  with  uncon- 
cern this  wastage  of  human  life.  The  lives  of  the  dwellers  in 
the  innumerable  villages  of  India  are  precious  in  the  sight  of 
Christ,  and  in  his  eyes  every  soul  possesses  an  infinite  capacity  and 
wortli. 

—Datf 


INDIA    AWAKENING 


CHAPTER   I 

THE  PEOPLE   OP   INDIA 

National  Unity. — It  is  difficult  for  those  who  have 
been  born  into  the  atmosphere  of  a  progressive 
Western  nation  to  appreciate  present-day  conditions 
in  India.  One  of  our  strongest  impulses  is  partiot- 
ism,  which  comes  from  a  sense  of  national  unity  and 
of  a  great  common  inheritance.  That  inheritance 
has  descended  to  us  from  Hebrew  prophet  and 
Greek  philosopher  and  Eoman  lawgiver;  it  has 
been  infused  with  the  breath  of  Christianity,  and 
toughened  with  Teutonic  vigor;  it  has  been  stirred 
by  the  Renaissance  and  Reformation,  and  enriched 
by  a  constant  growth  in  freedom  and  intelligence. 
It  pervades  all  our  life  so  subtly  that  most  of  us 
are  not  conscious  of  its  existence,  and  think  little  of 
its  origin ;  but  yet  we  owe  to  it  a  thousand  ties  that 
bind  us  together  as  a  North  American  people,  and 
link  us  to  our  common  English  ancestry. 

Common  Traditions. — In  the  bulk  of  North 
3 


4  INDIA   AWAKENINGF 

America,  both  in  the  United  States  and  in  Canada, 
our  dominant  traditions  are  derived  from  a  single 
source.  As  a  whole,  we  seem  to  be  of  a  single  race ; 
and  where  consciousness  of  race  difference  arises, 
there  our  troubles  are  most  acute.  We  speak  prac- 
tically a  single  language,  in  which  is  printed  and 
distributed  every  year  hundreds  of  billions  of 
pages.  Free  and  compulsory  education  has  made 
this  literature  intelligible  to  us  all,  so  that  the 
thoughts  of  millions  are  shaped  by  the  same  ideas. 
Intercommunication. — We  have  had  so  long  an  in- 
heritance of  freedom  that  we  take  it  as  a  matter  of 
course.    Progress  in  society,  government  and  church 

<., . ,  ,  is  a  natural  and  normal  thing,  and  its  lack  a  re- 
^proach.     Our  systems  of  transportation  and  com- 

>v\i?ifvvwv\  *  '  munication  have  at  once  liberated  us  and  bound  us 
together.  Scarcely  have  we  realized  the  significance 
for  unity  to  both  countries  of  the  transcontinental 
railway  lines  that  tend  ever  to  weave  together  more 
closely  the  domestic,  social,  intellectual,  political, 
and  religious  interests  of  the  extreme  sections  of  our 
respective  territories.  The  northward  and  south- 
ward movements  of  our  populations  and  interchange 
of  our  products,  both  within  the  domain  of  each  of 
these  two  countries  and  also  along  lines  of  mutual 
sharing  of  the  material,  moral,  and  religious  good  of 
each,  characterize  the  present  and  the  future.  We 
can  go  where  we  will,  and  everywhere  we  go  we 
make  new  ties.  Never  before  have  nations  been 
able  to  extend  over  such  vast  stretches  of  territory 
and  to  preserve  such  unity  of  spirit  as  to-day  by  the 


THE   PEOPLE   OF   INDIA  5 

aid  of  steam  and  electricity.  Finally  our  applica- 
tions of  the  results  of  modern  science  to  the  ex- 
ploitation of  our  great  natural  resources  has  pro- 
duced wealth  hitherto  unknown,  which  is  shared  in 
many  ways  even  by  the  poorest.  All  this  is  so  fa- 
miliar to  us  that  it  is  hard  to  imagine  a  state  of 
affairs  which  is  different. 

India's  Diversity. — Let  us  look  at  India  by  con- 
trast. The  present  population  of  the  United  States 
and  Canada  combined  is  less  than  one  third  that  of 
India.  These  countries  could  add  to  their  own  the 
entire  population  of  the  two  continents  Africa  and 
South  America  and  still  fall  short  of  the  Indian  total 
of  315,001,099.^  India,  China,  and  Europe  constitute 
three  great  congested  centers  of  population  upon 
which  the  sun  looks  down  in  his  daily  course,  and  of 
the  three  India  is  by  far  the  most  diverse.  Even 
with  all  the  results  of  recent  immigration,  we  are 
still  homogeneous  as  compared  with  Europe,  and 
Europe  is  more  homogeneous  than  India. 

Three  Great  Races. — There  are  generally  distin- 
guished three  great  races  as  the  basis  of  Indian  pop- 
ulation, the  Dravidian,  Aryan,  and  Mongolian.  The 
characteristic  type  of  the  first  is  found  in  the  south, 
— short,  dark,  and  with  broad  noses.  The  second 
type, — taller,  lighter,  and  with  narrow  noses, — ^is 
most  marked  in  the  northwest,  showing  signs  of  in- 
creasing mixture  as  one  moves  eastward.    It  is  held 

1  Census  of  India,  1911,  provisional  results  for  population  as 
given  in  the  Calcutta  Gazette,  April  5,  1911.  For  other  census 
figures  on  India,  the  Census  of  1901  has  been  used. 


6  INDIA  AWAKENING 

that  this  is  the  type  of  the  Indo-Germanic  race, 
speaking  a  language  related  to  Persian,  Greek, 
Latin,  and  German,  which  invaded  India  from  the 
northwest,  bringing  a  higher  civilization  and  re- 
ligion, and  which  pushed  the  Dravidians  southward. 
The  Mongolian  type  is  strongest  in  the  northeast. 

Racial  Spheres  Outlined. — The  idea  is  more  and 
more  gaining  ground  that  a  comparatively  pure 
Indo- Aryan  population  is  to  be  found  only  in  the 
Punjab  and  the  adjacent  territory  to  the  north  and 
south.  The  leading  element  of  the  population  in 
the  whole  of  the  rest  is  Dravidian,  except  for  an 
infusion  of  Indo-Aryan  blood.  This  decreases  as 
one  goes  from  north  to  south,  and  affects  the  higher 
classes  more  than  the  lower.  In  addition  to  this 
there  is  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  country,  in  Ben- 
gal, a  noticeable  Mongolian  strain  which  increases 
the  farther  east  one  travels;  while  along  the  west 
coast,  especially  in  the  Maratha  country  and  Coorg, 
there  is  found  an  equally  strong  infusion  of  Scyth- 
ian or  Mongoloid  blood.  It  should  be  observed  that 
the  superiority  of  the  Indo-Aryan  racial  element 
was  so  great  that  it  entirely  absorbed  the  Scythian 
languages  of  eastern  Bengal,  superseded  the  more 
northerly  of  the  original  Dravidian  tongues,  and 
took  from  those  of  the  central  and  southern  sections 
a  large  part  of  their  influence.^ 

Moslem  Infusion. — Since  the  year  1000  A.D., 
there  have  been  repeated  invasions  of  Moslems. 
To-day  over  62,000,000  of  the  population  are  Moham- 
*See  map  facing  page  30. 


THE   PEOPLE    OF    INDIA  7 

medans,  the  largest  percentage  being  found  in  the 
northwest  and  in  Bengal.  The  race  characteristics 
are  preserved  only  in  aristocratic  families  and  the 
masses  are  not  to  be  distinguished  from  Hindus. 

Language  Mixture. — These  great  races  were  orig- 
inally far  more  diverse  than  those  that  have  mingled 
in  North  America,  and  they  present  one  of  the  most 
remarkable  language  mixtures  on  the  face  of  the 
earth.  In  all  India  185  languages  are  listed,  113  of 
which  are  spoken  by  more  than  one  thousand  per- 
sons each.^ 

Range  of  Tongues. — Over  56,000,000  people  are 
recognized  as  speaking  Dravidian  languages,  of 
which  the  principal  are,  Telugu,  spoken  by  nearly 
21,000,000 ;  Tamil,  spoken  by  16,500,000 ;  Kanarese, 
spoken  by  10,300,000;  and  Malayalam,  spoken  by 
6,000,000.  Some  of  these  are  as  closely  related  as 
the  Romance  languages,-  but  there  are  very  many 
lesser  languages  and  dialects.  The  languages  of  the 
north  are  for  the  most  part  descended  from  the 
Sanskrit.  The  government  census  of  1901  mentions 
ten  of  these  that  are  spoken  by  more  than  five 
millions.  Hindustani,  or  Urdu,  which  is  a  dialect 
of  western  Hindi,  a  grafting  of  Arabic  and  Per- 
sian words  on  a  Hindi  base,  is  spoken  or  understood 
by  Mohammedans  all  over  India,  and  is  the  nearest 
approach  to  a  common  dialect.  English,  being  a 
requisite  for  all  but  the  lowest  positions  of  govern- 

*For  the  principal  languages,  see  language  chart  on  page  8. 
*  The  Eomance  languages  are  those  derived  from  the  ancient 
Latin,    such    as    French,    Spanish,    Italian. 


8 


INDIA  AWAKENING 


ment  employment,  is  popular  in  schools  and  is 
spoken  generally  by  an  insignificant  minority  of 
educated  persons.    It  is  interesting  to  note  that  the 


LANGUAGES  OF  INDIA 

SPOKEN  BY  3,000,000  OR  MORE  POPULATION 


Hindi. 


C  West^  rn  Hind/.sTh. 


mhi'm^mmm 


BenQci/j, 


Te/uau .  20. 636 ,  a  7Z 


m^a^SEM 


Rajasthani,  1 0,9/7,7/2 
Kanarese ,  /0,365,047^i 
Gujarat/ ,    S,  928,  SO/' 
Or/ya,    3,687,^29 
Burmese,  7,^74^,396] 
Ma/aya/am,  6, 02S,  Z04^ 
la/jnc/a,  ^,^57.S/7 
S/ndh/ ,    ^,006,Z9S 
/63  Ot/iers  spo/<en by i7.973,225\ Popu/at/on 


Indian  National  Congress  which  meets  to  discuss 
the  ne«ds  of  native  India  finds  no  other  practicable 
medium  of  communication  than  the  language  of  its 
foreign  rulers. 


THE   PEOPLE    OF    INDIA  9 

Barrier  of  Diverse  Speech. — It  is  difficult  for  the 
people  of  Canada  and  the  United  States  to  appreci- 
ate the  practical  effect  of  this  language  diversity. 
Our  newspapers,  magazines,  and  books,  our  schools, 
our  pulpits  and  other  public  institutions,  our  fre- 
quent travel  and  intervisiting,  find  almost  no  hin- 
drance from  the  language  standpoint  in  making 
common  a  great  fund  of  ideas.  Consider  how  our 
problems  would  be  complicated  if  every  small  group 
of  States  or  Provinces  had  a  different  vernacular; 
what  a  bar  would  be  placed  on  commerce  and  intel- 
lectual interchange.  If,  beyond  this,  scores  of  the 
less  extended  sections  could  be  approached  only 
through  an  additional  tongue,  how  could  we  ever 
raise  them  out  of  hopeless  provincialism  and  mental 
stagnation? 

Illiteracy  an  Obstacle. — But  even  if  India  had  a 
single  language,  her  enormous  percentage  of  illiter- 
acy would  check  the  influences  mentioned  above 
that  have  so  greatly  unified  our  peoples.  By  the 
census  of  1900,  ten  and  seven-tenths  per  cent,  of  the 
population  of  the  United  States  at  least  ten  years  of 
age  was  illiterate,  over  two  thirds  of  which  was 
found  among  the  colored  people  and  foreign  whites, 
and  the  percentage  of  illiteracy  of  Canada  is  about 
the  same.i     In  India  over  ninety  per  cent,  of  the 

*  Census  of  Canada,  1901,  shows  that  fourteen  and  four 
tenths  per  cent,  of  the  population  at  least  five  year^  of  age 
were  illiterate.  Figures  are  not  given  for  ten  years  and  lip- 
ward,  so  no  exact  comparison  with  the  United  States  can  be 
made. 


10  INDIA   AWAKENING 

male  population,  and  over  ninety-nine  per  cent,  of 
the  female  is  illiterate.  The  immense  debt  that  we 
owe  to  the  printed  page  dwindles  under  conditions 
such  as  these  to  a  trifling  fraction. 

Sway  of  Custom. — In  the  second  place,  even  the 
best  of  the  races  and  languages  of  India  have 
brought  the  people  no  such  heritage  of  customs  and 
ideals  as  descended  to  the  American  settlers,  and 
through  them  to  us.  In  the  earlier  stages  of  human 
society  the  welfare  of  a  community  depended  upon 
the  subordination  of  every  individual  to  the  com- 
mon rule.  The  groups  in  which  every  man  did  that 
which  was  right  in  his  own  eyes  would  be  destroyed 
by  those  which  submitted  to  a  military  discipline. 
This  put  such  a  premium  on  customs  that  were  in- 
violable that  everywhere  in  primitive  society  we 
find  observances  of  customs  made  a  religious  duty 
and  departure  from  the  ways  of  the  fathers  threat- 
ened with  the  vengeance  of  the  gods.  Custom,  law, 
and  religion   became   synonymous. 

Conservatism  a  Passion. — It  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary in  dealing  with  India  to  keep  clearly  in  mind 
that  the  separation  which  we  have  made  between  so- 
cial customs  and  religion  has  never  taken  place,  and 
that  the  same  feelings  of  reverence  with  which  the 
ancient  Hebrew  obeyed  the  Law  and  with  which  we 
perform  our  most  sacred  religious  obligations  at- 
tach themselves  in  the  mind  of  the  Hindu  to-day  to 
custom'  as  a  whole.  The  two  great  forces  that  have 
shaped  the  development  of  custom  in  the  West  have 
been  the  rationality  of  the  Greeks  and  the  righteous- 


THE   PEOPLE    OF   INDIA  11 

ness  of  the  Hebrews.  The  one  has  cleared  our  mind 
and  the  other  has  purified  our  instincts.  Although 
lacking  these,  custom  in  India  has  been  strength- 
ened as  perhaps  nowhere  else  in  the  world  by  an 
intense  religiousness  that  makes  conservatism  a 
passion.  The  great  characteristic  of  the  Indian 
people  is  the  intensity  of  religious  instinct  which 
has  penetrated  every  part  of  the  daily  life,  conse- 
crated the  worst  as  well  as  the  best  traditions,  and 
blocked  every  tendency  to  social  change. 

Occidental  Principles  of  Liberty. — ^We  in  the  West 
have  developed  the  ideal  of  individual  liberty.  We 
have  set  the  individual  free  from  the  tyranny  of  so- 
ciety by  separating  custom  from  law.  The  indivi- 
dual is  permitted  to  differ  from  others,  to  enter  into 
new  social  combinations  and  to  rise  in  the  social 
scale.  This  ideal  carries  with  it  the  rights  of  women 
and  children  to  personal  development  and  education. 
We  have  set  the  individual  free  from  the  tyranny  of 
the  state  by  declaring  that  government  is  for  the 
sake  of  the  governed  and  by  making  provision  for 
changes  of  officials  and  laws.  Society  has  made  a 
great  advance  when  it  provides  for  adjustment  to 
changing  conditions  by  means  of  new  laws.  This 
marks  the  transition  from  government  by  custom 
to  government  by  discussion.  We  have  set  the  in- 
dividual free  from  the  tyranny  of  ecclesiastical  au- 
thority by  a  separation  of  Church  and  State. 

Subjection  of  the  IndividuaJ.— In  India  none  of 
these  separations  have  taken  place.  The  family 
and  not  the  individual  is  the  social  unit,  and  this 


12  INDIA   AWAKENING 

always  makes  for  subjection  of  women  and  chil- 
dren. The  individual  is  not  free  to  differ  from  his 
neighbors  or  his  ancestors.  Every  influence  con- 
spires to  keep  him  at  the  social  level  in  which  he 
was  born.  Though  in  village  communes  local  mat- 
ters are  settled  by  a  council  of  leaders  according  to 
traditions,  the  inherited  spirit  of  government  is 
everywhere  patriarchal  and  despotic.  Custom  is 
neither  to  be  discussed  nor  amended.  In  early  days 
the  priestly  class  obtained  control,  and  has  domi- 
nated native  education  and  law  as  well  as  religion 
ever  since. 

Institution  of  Caste. — The  great  social  institution 
which  expresses  all  this  immovable  control  is  caste. 
It  may  be  defined  as  a  collection  of  families  holding  a 
common  title  or  name,  claiming  descent  from  a  com- 
mon ancestor,  originally  professing  to  follow  the 
same  calling,  and  unified  into  a  single  community  by 
a  tradition  of  fixed  rules  and  customs.  They  are 
separated  from  other  castes  by  the  prohibitions  of 
intermarriage,  eating  together,  contact,  and  similar 
barriers. 

Factors  Producing  Caste. — The  origin  of  caste  is 
due  to  several  different  causes.  Among  these  are  the 
following :  1.  The  preservation  of  race  purity,  based 
upon  a  distinction  of  color,  in  order  to  prevent  the 
traditions  of  the  higher  race  being  lost  by  intermar- 
riage with  the  lower  orders.  2.  Various  occupation 
groups  gradually  hardened  into  castes.  Men  of  the 
same  trade  formed  a  gild,  which  in  time  became 
a  caste.     Each  son  had  to  follow  the  trade  of  his 


THE   PEOPLE    OF   INDIA  13 

father,  and  every  change  of  occupation  tended  to 
develop  a  new  caste.  3.  Clans  or  new  tribes  were 
incorporated  within  the  pale  of  Hinduism  by  the 
acknowledgment  of  the  supremacy  of  the  Brahman 
priesthood,  and  thus  passed  over  into  Hinduism  in  a 
body.  This  process  is  taking  place  to-day,  and  Hin- 
duism is  growing  by  incursions  made  upon  the  ab- 
origines and  simple  animists.  4.  In  former  days 
intermarriage  between  two  different  castes  and  the 
migration  of  people  to  different  localities  always 
tended  to  form  new  castes.  5.  The  sanctity  of  sac- 
rifice, which  could  be  performed  only  by  a  priestly 
class  whose  ritual  was  handed  down  from  father  to 
son,  exalted  the  Brahmans  and  made  them  indis- 
pensable, and  through  them  strengthened  the  whole 
social  system  of  caste.  Caste  to-day  is  supported 
also  by  the  pride  of  social  rank  and  of  birth,  natu- 
ral to  all  men,  and  is  hedged  about  by  a  thousand 
thorny  rules. 

Number  of  Castes. — In  the  earlier  Vedas  there  is 
no  trace  of  caste.  In  the  simple  life  of  the  days  that 
followed  four  castes  emerged.  The  Brahmans  or 
priests,  the  Kshatriyas  or  warriors,  the  Yaisyas  or 
traders,  and  the  Sudras,  who  were  laborers  or  serfs. 
In  most  parts,  the  second  and  third  of  these  have 
ceased  to  exist  as  castes.  The  Sudras  have  ramified, 
subdivided,  and  multiplied  into  hundreds  of  separate 
castes,  and  constitute  the  bulk  of  the  population  to- 
day. They  form  the  respectable  middle  classes.  In 
all,  there  are  2,378  principal  castes  and  tribes,  but 
if  all   the  lower  castes  and  subdivisions  were   in- 


14  INDIA   AWAKENING 

eluded,  there  would  be  probably  a  hundred  thousand 
castes  in  India,  no  two  of  which  can  intermarry. 
Among  Brahmans  alone  there  are  1,886  subcastes, 
which  for  the  most  part  cannot  intermarry. 

Present  Divisions. — Instead  of  the  four  original 
castes  there  are  to-day  three  great  divisions  number- 
ing as  follows :  Brahmans,  14,893,000,  or  about  5  per 
cent,  of  total  population ;  Middle  Castes,  142,000,000, 
or  nearly  50  per  cent,  of  the  whole ;  and  Panchamas, 
or  outcastes,  50,000,000  or  about  16  per  cent,  of 
the  whole.  The  Panchamas,  or  "  fifth  order,'*  with 
different  names  in  various  sections  of  the  country, 
are  outcastes  in  the  sense  that  they  are  outside  the 
pale  of  Hinduism,  and  are  usually  forced  to  live  out- 
side the  villages  and  are  not  permitted  to  enter  the 
Hindu  temples.  They  are  called  the  *'  untouch- 
ables. ' '  They  are  also  subdivided  among  themselves, 
and  will  not  intermarry.  Though  outcastes  they  are 
completely  under  the  dominance  of  the  caste  sys- 
tem, and  find  it  almost  impossible  to  break  away 
from  it,  or  change  their  religion. 

Sacred  Authority  of  Caste. — According  to  the  sa- 
cred books  of  Hinduism,  caste  is  a  divine  institu- 
tion. The  sacred  law  of  Manu  decrees  the  status  of 
the  various  castes  as  follows :  ^ 

*'  The  Brahman  ...  is  by  right  the  lord  of  this 
whole  creation.  A  Brahman  ...  is  born  as  the 
highest   on  earth,  the  lord  of  all  created   beings. 

*  Quotations  here  and  elsewhere  are  from  Sacred  Books  of 
the  East,  by  E.  Max  Miillar,  Vol.  XXV,  The  Laws  of  Manu, 
translated  hj  Georg   Biihler. 


HON.   V.   KRISHNASWAMI  IYER 

Judge  of  the  High  Court,  Madras 


THE    PEOPLE    OF   INDIA  15 

Whatever  exists  in  the  world  is  the  property  of  the 
Brahman."! 

"  Let  not  [one]  explain  the  sacred  law  [to  a 
Sudra],  nor  impose  upon  him  a  penance.  For  he 
who  explains  the  sacred  law  to  a  Sndra  or  dictates 
to  him  a  penance,  will  sink  together  with  that  man 
into  .  .  .  hell."=^ 

*'  The  dwellings  of  [outcastes]  shall  be  outside 
the  village,  .  .  .  and  their  wealth  shall  be  dogs  and 
donkeys.  Their  dress  shall  be  the  garments  of  the 
dead,  they  shall  eat  their  food  from  broken  dishes, 
black  iron  shall  be  their  ornaments,  and  they  must 
always  wander  from  place  to  place.  A  man  who 
fulfils  a  religious  duty,  shall  not  seek  intercourse 
with  them.  "3 

Former  Condition  of  Pariahs. — Abbe  Du  Bois  de- 
scribes the  Pariahs  of  a  century  ago  as  slaves  or 
serfs  sold  with  the  soil.  They  could  own  no  land, 
they  were  beaten  and  reviled,  they  lived  in  pov- 
erty and  almost  nakedness.  Brahmans  would  not 
even  touch  them  with  a  stick.  If  one  entered  a 
Brahman's  house  he  was  murdered.  A  man  was 
sold  for  a  dollar,  or  a  little  rice,  or  about  the  price 
of  a  cow.  As  an  illustration  of  their  condition,  the 
Puliars  of  Malabar  dwelt  in  trees,  in  little  huts  built 
in  the  branches.  They  were  not  allowed  to  build 
their  huts  on  the  ground  nor  to  walk  in  the  public 
road.    If  a  high-caste  man  met  one  on  the  road,  he 

*  Mann,  I.  93,  99,  100. 
'Ibid.,  IV.  80,  81. 
•Ibid.,  X.  51-53. 


16  INDIA   AWAKENING 

could  stab  him  on  the  spot.  His  description  of  the 
poverty  and  suffering  of  the  poor  people  is  heart- 
rending. 

Social  Tyranny  of  Caste. — ^A  man's  caste  in  India 
is  his  destiny.  All  independence  is  crushed.  If  the 
caste  regulations  are  broken  and  defied  the  whole 
community  boycott  and  if  necessary  ostracize  the 
man.  No  one  will  work  for  him,  no  one  will  sell  to 
him,  no  one  will  help  him.  We  cannot  realize  the 
problem  presented  to  mission  work  by  this  system, 
which  forbids  any  man  to  change  his  religion,  to 
improve  his  condition  or  rise  in  the  social  scale,  and 
which  boycotts  every  convert.  As  Dr.  Jones  says, 
"  To  the  ordinary  Hindu  a  change  of  caste  would  be 
as  unexpected,  yea  as  impossible,  as  his  sudden 
change  into  the  lower  brute,  or  into  the  higher  an- 
gelic kingdom.'' 

Some  Benefits  of  Caste. — Caste  is  the  '*  keystone 
of  the  arch  of  Hinduism."  It  has  had  some  good  in- 
fluence as  a  great  wall  of  defense  against  the  invader 
and  as  a  conservator  of  tradition.  It  has  provided 
for  the  division  of  labor  and  for  trade  gilds,  and  has 
furnished  moral  restraints  by  its  strict  rules.  It  has 
preserved  certain  arts  and  industries  and  enabled  the 
people  to  unite  and  cooperate  within  narrow  lines. 

Evils  of  Caste. — Its  evil  effects,  however,  far  out- 
weigh the  good.  Maine,  in  his  Ancient  Law,  de- 
scribes caste  as  '^  the  most  disastrous  and  blighting 
of  human  institutions. ' '  A  non-Christian  newspaper 
writes,  **  It  is  not  possible  to  describe  in  temperate 
words  the  terrible  havoc  which  caste  has  wrought  in 


THE   PEOPLE    OP   INDIA  17 

India.  The  preservation  of  caste  means  the  suicide 
of  the  whole  nation.''  A  Hindu  social  reformer 
sums  up  its  evils  as  follows:  **  It  has  produced  dis- 
union and  discord.  It  has  made  honest  manual  labor 
contemptible,  and  retarded  progress.  It  has  brought 
on  physical  degeneracy  by  confining  marriage  within 
narrow  circles.  It  has  developed  indirectly  the  sys- 
tem of  early  marriage.  It  has  suppressed  individu- 
ality and  independence  of  character,  and  while  af- 
fording the  opportunity  of  culture  to  the  few,  it 
has  caused  the  degradation  of  the  masses."  ''  The 
social  system  and  the  whole  tone  of  religious  thought 
with  its  philosophy  of  fatalism  is  against  the  indi- 
vidualistic self-assertion  necessary  to  success  in  the 
struggle  for  existence.  It  is  opposed  to  cooperation 
for  civic  ideals,  and  it  promotes  indifference  to  life." 
Once  caste  is  undermined,  Hinduism  would  crumble 
to  the  ground,  for  it  has  no  other  coordinating 
factor. 

Results  of  Its  Overthrow. — ^What  would  become  of 
Canada  or  the  United  States  if  the  divisive  in- 
fluences of  different  race  origins  and  a  multitude 
of  languages  and  dialects  were  cross-seamed  and 
petrified  by  the  divisions  and  rigid  prejudices  of  the 
caste  system?  If  instead  of  one  race  problem  which 
is  gradually  yielding  to  the  forces  of  education,  pa- 
triotism, and  religion,  the  United  States  had  hun- 
dreds of  caste  cleavages,  uninfluenced  by  patriotism 
or  education,  and  strengthened  by  intense  religious 
instincts,  her  people  would  better  realize  the  ob- 
stacles to  progress  in  India.     The  break-up  of  the 


18  INDIA   AWAKENING 

system  would  bring  thousands  into  the  Christian 
Church  in  masses,  and  that  is  what  will  probably 
happen  within  a  few  decades.  The  missionary  work 
of  the  present  is  in  preparation  for  that  great  up- 
heaval. The  teaching  of  Christianity  with  its  West- 
ern education,  its  doctrine  of  liberty  and  the  natu- 
ral equality  of  all  men,  which  has  been  the  basis  of 
every  advance  in  the  Occidental  world  for  the  last 
two  hundred  years,  as  Benjamin  Kidd  points  out, 
will  ultimately  overthrow  the  system  of  caste.  No 
other  hope  of  the  social  betterment  of  India  can  be 
discerned. 

An  Ever-present  Problem. — Caste  is  the  one  great 
problem  in  India  to-day.  It  is  this  which  makes 
India  such  a  difficult  mission  field.  It  is  this  which 
holds  back  the  high-caste  students  in  the  colleges 
and  the  poor  pariah  in  the  villages  from  embracing 
Christianity.  It  is  this  which  has  preserved  Hindu- 
ism from  conquering  invasions  and  proselyting  re- 
ligions. It  is  this  ever-present  problem  which  meets 
the  missionary  in  every  Hindu  village  he  enters,  and 
the  remnants  of  caste  prejudice  which  baffle  him  in 
many  Christian  congregations.  How  can  we  solve 
the  problem?  Mr.  Bernard  Lucas,  in  his  Empire  of 
Christ,  and  many  others  would  suggest  that  as  caste 
is  only  a  social  system,  and  since  social  differences 
exist  in  every  land  and  are  not  necessarily  incom- 
patible with  Christianity,  we  should  not  make  the 
breaking  of  caste  a  necessary  requirement  for  en- 
trance into  the  Church,  but  should  in  part  ignore  it, 
and  trust  that  it  would  in  time  die  out  of  itself,  as 


THE    PEOPLE    OF   INDIA  19 

did  the  institution  of  slavery.  Thousands  would 
become  Christians  if  they  could  retain  their  caste. 

Immobile  India. — Our  "Western  freedom  of  move- 
ment and  the  increase  of  manufactures  has  promoted 
the  growth  of  great  cities,  which  focus  interchange 
of  thought  and  become  centers  of  progressive  ideas. 
The  director  of  the  United  States  census  for  1910  es- 
timates that  cities  of  over  twenty-five  thousand  will 
be  shown  to  contain  between  thirty-one  and  thirty- 
two  per  cent,  of  the  population,  and  that  towns  and 
cities  of  over  twenty-five  hundred  will  have  between 
forty-five  and  forty-seven  per  cent.  The  census  of 
India  for  1901  showed  that  the  cities  of  over  twenty 
thousand  contain  only  about  five  per  cent,  of  the 
population,  and  that  towns  and  cities  of  over  two 
thousand  contain  only  twenty-three  per  cent.  On 
the  other  hand,  there  are  171,135,614  in  villages  of 
less  than  one  thousand  inhabitants,  over  fifty-eight 
per  cent,  of  the  total  population ;  and  271,882,074  in 
towns  and  villages  of  less  than  ten  thousand,  over 
ninety-two  per  cent,  of  the  population. 

Lack  of  Information  and  Travel. — With  the  addi- 
tion of  language  and  caste  hindrances,  this  situation 
presents  a  physical  barrier  to  the  rapid  diffusion  of 
ideas,  to  overcome  which  would  require  an  im- 
mensely greater  development  of  transportation  and 
communication  than  that  which  they  possess.  In 
1909,  India,  with  more  than  half  the  area  of  the 
United  States,  had  31,000  miles  of  railroad,  as  com- 
pared with  235,000  miles  in  the  United  States.  The 
bulk  of  the  Indian  people,  however,  live  away  from 


20  INDIA   AWAKENING 

the  railroad  and  are  without  newspapers,  books,  or 
schools.  Religion  and  caste  combine  to  discourage 
travel.  *'  The  fact  is  that  the  Hindu  has  little  of 
the  migratory  instinct,  and  all  his  prejudices  tend 
to  keep  him  at  home.  As  a  resident  member  of  a 
tribe,  caste,  or  village,  he  occupies  a  definite  social 
position,  of  which  emigration  is  likely  to  deprive 
him.  When  he  leaves  his  home  he  loses  the  sym- 
pathy and  support  of  his  clansmen  and  neighbors; 
he  misses  the  village  council,  which  regulates  his 
domestic  affairs;  the  services  of  the  family  priest, 
which  he  considers  essential  to  his  salvation.  Every 
village  has  its  own  local  shrine,  where  the  dei- 
ties, in  the  main  destructive,  have  been  propitiated 
and  controlled  by  the  constant  service  of  their  vota- 
ries. Once  the  wanderer  leaves  the  hamlet  where  he 
was  born,  he  enters  the  domain  of  new  and  unknown 
deities,  who,  being  strangers,  are  of  necessity  hostile 
to  him,  and  may  resent  his  intrusion  by  sending  fam- 
ine, disease,  or  death  upon  the  luckless  stranger.'*^ 
Whatever  caste  may  have  done  to  stimulate  industry 
in  former  days,  in  the  present  stage  of  economic  de- 
velopment, it  is  one  of  the  great  hindrances  to  na- 
tional prosperity. 

Small  Incomes  and  Poverty. — ^It  is  most  pathetic 
that  in  her  desperate  struggle  with  poverty  India 
should  find  the  influences  of  religious  custom  such  a 
hindrance.  A  nation  so  handicapped  should  have 
the  utmost  freedom  of  each  individual  to  make  the 
most  of  himself,  instead  of  an  absolute  constraint  to 
*  Crooke,  The  Northwest  Provinces  of  India,  326. 


THE    PEOPLE    OF    INDIA  21 

follow  the  trade  of  his  father  irrespective  of  his 
own  tastes  and  abilities.  Under  such  circumstances 
the  growth  of  transportation,  communication,  and 
social  influences  that  have  done  so  much  to  unify 
our  own  country,  will  be  slow  in  developing,  and 
thus  the  influences  which  should  tend  to  destroy 
caste  will  be  retarded.  The  poverty  of  the  people 
of  India  is  proverbial.  A  day  laborer  receives  less 
than  ten  cents  a  day,  even  when  he  can  get  work. 
The  average  income  in  my  own  district  is  five  and 
one  half  cents  a  day,  $1.65  a  month,  or  $20  a  year 
per  family.  Dadabhai  Naoroji,  an  Indian  member 
of  the  British  Parliament,  estimated  that  the  aver- 
age income  per  capita  in  India  is  only  seven  dollars 
a  year.  Lord  Cromer's  estimate  of  nine  dollars  per 
capita  is  probably  more  nearly  correct.  The  Hindu 
writer,  Mr.  R.  C.  Dutt,  makes  the  criticism  that 
while  in  England  the  average  income  is  $210  a  year, 
in  India  it  is  only  $10.  Forty  millions  lie  down 
hungry  every  night  upon  a  mud  floor,  who  have  had 
only  one  meal,  or  at  most  two  scanty  meals,  during 
the  day.  Men,  women  and  children  all  work  to- 
gether in  the  fields ;  yet  only  47  per  cent,  of  the  pop- 
ulation have  work,  while  53  per  cent,  are  dependent. 
Immediate  Causes. — The  more  immediate  causes  of 
this  poverty  are  not  far  to  seek.  The  lack  of  manu- 
factures, the  dependence  of  the  population  upon  ag- 
riculture, when  the  monsoon  ^  so  frequently  fails,  the 

*  A  wind  that  blows  steadily  along  the  Asiatic  coast  in  winter 
from  the  northeast,  forming  the  dry  monsoon;  in  summer  more 
violently  from  the  southwest,  constituting  the  wet  monsoon. 


22  INDIA   AWAKENING 

overcrowding  of  population,  with  poor  methods  of 
agriculture,  naturally  lead  to  poverty.  The  hoard- 
ing of  wealth  instead  of  placing  it  at  interest,  the 
tying  up  of  money  in  jewels,  the  prevalence  of  debt, 
and  the  tendency  to  litigation,  also  rob  the  country 
of  its  resources.  Add  to  this  the  burden  of  five  and 
a  half  million  mendicants  or  holy  men  and  beggars, 
which  the  religion  of  the  land  places  as  a  burden 
upon  a  kind-hearted  people,  and  you  have  conditions 
which  are  rife  for  poverty. 

Recurring  Famines. — The  terrible  effects  of  this 
poverty  appear  in  times  of  famine.  When  the  mon- 
soon fails,  as  it  frequently  does,  anxious  eyes  are 
turned  toward  the  burning  heavens.  During  the 
last  fifty  years,  twenty-two  famines  have  swept 
away  28,000,000  of  the  people.  The  famine  of  1900, 
which  I  witnessed,  carried  off  five  millions  and 
left  fifty  millions  hungry.  I  can  more  vividly  re- 
call the  dreadful  scenes  of  this  famine  by  quoting 
from  my  report  letter  of  March  in  that  year.  It 
reads  as  follows: 

Famine  of  1900. — *  *  India  is  entering  upon  another 
great  famine.  The  Viceroy  and  the  Imperial  Coun- 
cil, surveying  the  entire  country,  have  made  their  of- 
ficial announcement  concerning  this  famine,  which 
has  now  assumed  national  proportions.  They  say: 
*The  greatest  aggregate  famine  area  will  be  about 
300,000  square  miles  (or  five  times  the  area  of  Eng- 
land), containing  a  population  of  40,000,000.  There 
is  a  further  population  of  21,000,000  in  which  more 
or  less  general  scarcity  and  distress  prevail.'   Even 


THE   PEOPLE    OF   INDIA  23 

now  there  is  a  population  equal  to  that  of  Ireland  on 
the  relief  works,  and  they  are  increasing  at  the  rate 
of  several  hundred  thousand  every  week. 

Facing  Starvation. — ''  The  first  station  I  visited 
was  that  of  a  veteran  missionary.  Already  the 
crowds  had  begun  to  collect  about  his  door  begging 
for  food.  I  saw  one  group  of  gaunt  specters  stalk 
silently  in  from  the  dusty  road.  They  had  walked 
seventy-five  miles.  '  Sir/  they  said,  '  we  have  no 
work,  no  food,  no  water.  How  can  we  live  ?  '  Here 
in  his  own  field  were  10,000  Christians  destitute  of 
food,  praying  and  waiting.  The  people  are  now  liv- 
ing on  berries,  roots,  the  thorny  cactus,  and  grass 
seed,  and  this  can  last  but  a  few  weeks.  Beyond 
this  one  dreads  to  think.  At  best  no  crop  can  come 
now  for  eight  months.  As  we  drove  through  the 
fields  they  were  withered  and  burned  in  the  sun. 
The  cattle  were  gone,  the  streams  were  dry,  the  wells 
often  empty.  The  parched  farms  were  deserted,  the 
villages  were  quiet,  the  people  silent  and  gloomy. 
The  glaring  heaven  seemed  brass,  and  the  earth  was 
burned  like  brick. 

Disease  Added. — ''  In  the  next  mission  station 
things  seemed  almost  worse.  Of  the  18,000 
Christians,  half  were  destitute.  The  missionary  told 
me  that  some  had  eaten  nothing  for  days.  In  some 
places  disease  was  following  in  the  wake  of  the  fam- 
ine. In  one  little  village  he  found  forty  houses  where 
one  or  more  were  lying  sick  with  smallpox.  The  old 
man  had  fought  as  a  captain  through  our  American 
civil  war,  but  his  face  was  wet  with  tears  as  he  told 


34  INDIA   AWAKENING 

me  of  sights  which  he  said  beggared  description. 
Some  of  the  little  children  were  blind  with  disease 
and  their  wails  were  pitiful  to  hear. 

Perishing  Children.— '' On  arriving  in  Bombay  I 
met  an  old  Princeton  acquaintance.  He  said  'Gu- 
jarat was  a  fertile  country  thickly  populated.  The 
whole  face  of  the  land  is  now  altered.  Every  leaf 
was  torn  from  the  trees  long  ago  for  the  cattle,  and 
now  the  trees  themselves  have  been  cut  down  for 
wood.  The  whole  country,  once  green  as  a  park,  is 
now  a  blasted  waste  of  barren  stumps  and  burned 
fields.  I  have  seen  oxen  dying  in  the  streets  and  now 
they  have  lost  nearly  all.  It  will  take  years  for  those 
who  survive  the  famine  to  recover  from  it.  In  my 
district  five  hundred  people  are  dying  each  week. 
Repeatedly  parents  have  offered  me  their  children 
for  sale  at  a  rupee  each,  or  about  thirty  cents.  And 
they  love  them  as  we  love  our  children.  Children  are 
now  being  offered  for  sale  as  low  as  four  cents  each, 
or  for  a  measure  of  grain.  The  Mohammedans  often 
buy  little  girls.  One  has  only  to  live  in  a  heathen 
land  to  know  what  they  will  do  with  them.' 

Pathetic  Appeal.—''  '  If  you  had  a  hungry  crowd 
at  your  door  all  day.  If  you  could  see  men  reduced 
to  feeble  and  tottering  skeletons,  if  you  could  hear 
the  wail  of  hungry  children,  or  the  pleading  of  a 
mother  who  has  no  nourishment  left  for  her  starv- 
ing baby,  I  know  you  would  want  to  share  their 
suffering,  and  that  you  would  give  till  it  touched 
every  luxury  you  eat,  the  finery  you  wear,  until  you 
had  fairly  faced  the  command  of  our  Master,  "  Sell 


THE   PEOPLE    OF   INDIA  25 

that  which  ye  have  and  give  alms."  '  When  my 
friend  had  finished  his  sad  story  and  I  asked  him 
how  Christian  people  could  help,  he  said,  *  Best  of 
all  by  rescuing  orphan  children/  '' 

Far-Reaching"  Response. — In  answer  to  the  above 
letter  friends  in  America  sent  $17,000  for  famine  re- 
lief, and  thousands  of  orphans  were  fed.  Somehow 
the  letter  got  printed  and  money  came  from  negroes, 
American  Indians,  and  twelve  different  nationalities. 
One  school  of  girls  in  China  sent  their  offering  for 
the  famine,  just  before  they  were  martyred  in  the 
Boxer  uprising.  Many  of  the  children  rescued  have 
now  become  leaders  of  Christian  work  in  India. 

Basis  of  Permanent  Help. — We  have  referred  thus 
at  length  to  the  poverty  and  famines  of  India  be- 
cause they  not  only  show  India 's  physical  suffering, 
but  are  typical  of  the  moral  and  spiritual  need  of 
this  great  people.  '*  My  people  die  for  lack  of 
knowledge."  Christian  education  has  largely  solved 
the  problem  of  famine  where  it  has  been  widely  ex- 
tended. Our  industrial  and  normal  schools  are 
changing  the  social  status  of  the  submerged  pariah 
and  removing  him  from  the  hand  to  mouth  depend- 
ence upon  heartless  Hindu  landlords.  But  the  down- 
trodden masses  of  India's  unreached  multitudes  lie 
like  a  beggar  at  our  gate,  full  of  sores  and  desiring 
to  be  fed  with  the  crumbs  that  fall  from  our  table. 
We  can  help  them  best,  not  by  fitful  famine  relief  in 
special  times  of  distress,  but  by  the  prevention  and 
provision  which  the  gospel  of  Christ  can  give  to 
India,  with  all  its  uplifting  power.     The  only  rich 


26  INDIA   AWAKENING 

nations  of  the  world  are  the  Christian  nations  of  the 
West,  or  those  developed  by  them.  The  half  of  the 
world  that  is  poor  to-day  is  the  half  that  is  without 
Christ.  Can  you  measure  the  forces  of  Christian 
civilization  upon  India's  future  in  their  social,  eco- 
nomic, educational,  and  philanthropical  results  ?  We 
have  it  within  our  power  to  launch  this  mighty  force 
through  the  Christian  church  and  school.  * '  Ye  shall 
know  the  truth  and  the  truth  shall  make  you  free." 
But  how  shall  they  know  it? 


RELIGIONS 


In  the  West  we  are  accustomed  to  speak  of  a  certain  phase  of 
life  as  the  religious  life,  and  to  draw  sharp  distinctions  between 
what  we  call  sacred  and  secular.  In  India,  on  the  other  hand,  life 
is  essentially  religious,  and  in  the  strictest  sense  of  the  word 
there  is  nothing  which  can  properly  be  called  secular  at  all.  Re- 
ligion is  all-pervading  as  the  atmosphere  itself ;  it  penetrates  into 
every  nook  and  corner  of  life,  so  that  the  Hindu  can  never  escape 
from  its  influence.  It  presides  over  his  birth,  fixes  his  name, 
determines  his  education,  settles  his  calling,  arranges  his  mar- 
riage, orders  every  detail  of  his  family  and  social  life,  and  controls 
his  destiny  through  all  time.  Not  only  so,  but  it  gives  color  and 
shape  to  the  external  world  in  which  he  lives  and  moves.  Animate 
and  inanimate  nature,  rivers  and  hills,  trees  and  plants,  rocks  and 
stones,  everything  in  the  animal  and  vegetable  kingdom,  are  all 
alike  existing  in  this  all-pervading  religious  atmosphere,  and  pre- 
sent themselves  to  his  mind  through  this  all-embracing  medium. 
It  is  this  fact  perhaps  more  than  anything  else  which  makes  the 
Hindu  an  insoluble  enigma  to  the  man  of  the  West.  Its  subtle 
influence  is  encountered  at  every  turn,  its  tint  is  present  in  every 
landscape,  its  pungent  essence  can  be  detected  everywhere.  It  has 
to  be  reckoned  with  in  the  India  Office,  in  the  Legislative  Council, 
in  the  Government  Office,  in  market  and  school,  in  the  largest  town 
as  well   as   in  the   smallest  hamlet. 

— Lucas 


CHAPTER   n 

RELIGIONS 

Europe  and  Asia  Contrasted. — ^Asia  is  the  birth- 
place of  ^eat  religions.  As  Meredith  Townsend 
says :  *  *  The  truth  is  that  the  European  is  essentially 
secular,  that  is,  intent  on  securing  objects  he  can  see ; 
and  the  Asiatic  essentially  religious,  that  is,  intent  on 
obedience  to  powers  which  he  cannot  see  but  can 
imagine.  .  .  The  European,  therefore,  judges  a  creed 
by  its  results,  declaring  that  if  these  are  foolish  or 
evil  or  inconvenient  the  creed  is  false.  The  Asiatic 
does  not  consider  results  at  all,  but  only  the  accuracy 
or  beauty  of  the  thoughts  generated  in  his  own 
mind.''^ 

Semitic  and  Aryan  Faiths. — Two  great  races,  both 
Asiatic,  have  given  the  world  its  most  germinal  re- 
ligions, the  Semitic  Jew  with  his  transcendant  mono- 
theism and  deep  moral  sense;  and  the  Aryan  of  In- 
dia with  his  overmastering  consciousness  of  the  im- 
manence of  God  and  the  reality  of  the  Unseen.  The 
former  has  more  largely  shaped  the  West  and  the 
latter  has  influenced  the  East.  India  has  ever  been 
the  home  of  religions,  a  vast  religious  area  where  the 
world's  great  faiths  are  on  trial,  and  where  finally 
only  the  fittest  can  survive. 

1  Asia  and  Europe,  29. 

29 


30  INDIA   AWAKENING 

Strength  of  Religions  of  India. — The  strength  of 
the  various  religions  of  India  and  their  relative  num- 
bers is  shown  in  the  following  table  ^ 

Jews    18,000 

Parsees 94,000 

Jains   1,334,000 

Sikhs   2.,195,000 

Christians    2,923,000 

Animists   8,714,000 

Buddhists    9,477,000 

Mohammedans    62,458,000 

Hindus   207,147,000 

Thus  of  every  hundred  persons  in  India  71  are 
Hindus,  21  Mohammedans,  3  Buddhists  and  1 
Christian.  This  proportion  varies  greatly  in  differ- 
ent provinces. 

Jews  and  Parsees. — The  Jews,  who  have  probably 
been  in  India  since  some  remote  dispersion  of  the 
first  or  second  century,  are  a  poor  and  isolated  com- 
munity in  Western  India,  with  no  influence  on  In- 
dia's life.  The  Parsees,  driven  from  Persia  by  the 
Mohammedan  persecution  over  a  thousand  years  ago, 
while  a  highly  educated  Zoroastrian  community,  are 
completely  isolated  in  the  Bombay  presidency. 

Buddhism. — Buddhism,  which  arose  as  a  protest- 
ant  reform  movement  within  Hinduism,  prevailed  in 
India  from  about  500  B.C.  to  500  A.D. ;  but  after  a 
fair  trial  perished  in  the  land  of  its  birth.  Apart 
from  the  outskirts  of  the  districts  bordering  on  the 
Himalayas  and  Burma,  it  has  ceased  to  exist  in  India 

^From  Census  of  India,  1901. 


RELIGIONS  31 

proper.  Buddha,  the  greatest  of  India's  sons,  leav- 
ing his  life  of  princely  luxury,  by  his  * '  great  renun- 
ciation '*  sought  to  find  a  way  of  escape  from  the 
evil  of  existence  by  the  suppression  of  all  desire. 
His  winsome  personality,  his  appeal  to  the  masses 
for  the  first  time  in  the  vernacular,  his  revolt  from 
caste  and  the  burdensome  ritual  of  the  Brahmans, 
his  high  moral  teaching  and  the  note  of  humanity 
which  he  struck,  came  to  India  at  the  time  as  good 
news.  But  his  religion  ignored  God,  and  it  could 
never  finally  satisfy  the  deep  religious  instincts  of 
India.  After  the  fifth  century  A.D.,  Buddhism 
ceased  to  exist  as  a  paramount  religion.  During  the 
last  fourteen  years,  traveling  in  all  parts  of  India 
proper,  I  have  never  met  a  single  Buddhist.  In  Ti- 
bet, Burma,  and  Ceylon,  it  is  of  course  still  the  pre- 
vailing religion. 

Mohammedanism. — The  Mohammedans  numbered 
62,000,000  at  the  census  of  1901,  and  have  doubtless 
increased  since  that  time.  They  are  most  numerous 
in  Kashmir  and  the  Punjab,  where  they  form  over 
one  half  of  the  population,  and  in  Bengal,  where 
they  amount  to  nearly  one  third.  Though  formerly 
ruling  over  the  bulk  of  India,  they  have  lost  their 
political  prominence,  and  have  been  much  slower 
than  the  Hindus  to  cultivate  Western  learning. 

Some  Lines  of  Change. — The  problem  of  Moham- 
medanism in  India  presents  many  interesting  feat- 
ures which  cannot  be  discussed  here  for  lack  of 
space.  On  the  one  hand,  especially  among  the 
lower  classes,  their  religion  has  been  tinged  with 


32  INDIA   AWAKENING 

Hinduism.  **  The  census  officials  were  often  in  doubt 
whether  to  reckon  certain  groups  under  the  headings 
of  Mohammedans  or  Hindus."  New  and  powerful 
sects,  such  as  the  Kabirpanthis,  Sikhs,  and  others 
have  arisen  from  a  mingling  of  Hindu  and  Moslem 
influences.  The  caste  spirit  has  shown  itself  in  Is- 
lam, and  the  prohibition  of  marriage  outside  of 
caste  lines  is  to  a  certain  extent  observed.  At  the 
other  end  of  the  line  we  see  the  effect  of  Christianity 
and  "Western  ideas.  A  small  section  of  Moham- 
medanism stands  for  progressive  theology,  social  re- 
forms, and  Western  education.  A  conference  on 
missions  to  Moslems  was  held  in  Lucknow,  in  Janu- 
ary, 1911.  The  reports  of  this  conference  should  be 
consulted  for  recent  information  on  the  subject  of 
Islam  in  India. 

Animism. — Animism  still  remains  the  religion  of 
over  eight  million  aboriginal  hill  tribes,  who  worship 
subordinate  spirits,  but  they  are  being  gradually 
absorbed  by  the  other  religions.^  The  religious 
future  of  India  lies  between  Christianity  and  Hindu- 
ism, and  in  this  chapter  we  shall  try  to  estimate 
sympathetically  the  worth  of  the  latter  religion,  and 
to  weigh  its  elements  of  strength  and  weakness.  The 
question  before  us  is,  what  has  Hinduism  done  for 
India,  and  what  can  it  do? 

Hinduism. — The  average  person  in  Canada  or  the 
United  States  has  little  conception  of  a  life  saturated 

1  For  a  detailed  account  of  Parseeism,  Buddhism,  Mohamme- 
danism, and  Animism,  see  Murray,  The  Great  Beligions  of 
India. 


EELIGIONS  33 

with  religion  as  is  that  of  India.  Religion  covers  all 
life.  It  fills  all  thought.  It  governs  all  acts.  It  reg- 
ulates all  movements.  So  complete  a  possession  of  a 
man's  whole  being  by  religion  as  is  common  in  In- 
dia can  only  be  found  among  the  rare  mystic  saints 
of  other  lands.  Witness  the  indescribable  sufferings 
of  the  millions  of  devotees  on  year-long  pilgrimages 
to  sacred  shrines,  the  life-long  vigils  and  absorbed 
contemplations  of  tens  of  thousands  of  ascetics.  But 
above  all  note  the  unfailing  ceremonies  that  entire 
Hindu  households  go  through  every  day  before  the 
shrines  which  are  found  in  every  orthodox  Hindu 
home.  How  earnest  the  women ;  how  seemingly  rev- 
erent the  men;  how  cheerfully  present  the  children. 
Contrast  the  prayerlessness  of  our  American  people. 

Religion  Merged  with  Custom. — Since  religion  in 
India  has  not  yet  been  separated  from  custom,  it 
controls  the  bulk  of  life.  We  of  the  West  have  so 
emancipated  custom  and  daily  life  from  religious 
control  that  our  main  danger  is  from  a  secular  and 
materialistic  spirit. 

Diverse  Nature  of  Hinduism. — As  compared  with 
Western  religion,  Hinduism  is  not  only  more  intense 
and  comprehensive,  but  far  more  diverse.  It  consti- 
tutes perhaps  the  greatest  mixture  of  any  religion  on 
the  face  of  the  earth.  It  derives  from  many  sources, 
and  since  caste  has  checked  free  assimilation,  the 
original  elements  exist  side  by  side  in  every  possible 
combination.  It  must  be  remembered  that  almost 
nothing  holds  good  of  Hinduism  as  a  whole,  that 
ideas  and  customs  that  rule  in  one  part  of  the  coun- 


34  INDIA   AWAKENING 

try  and  in  certain  strata  are  unknown  and  inert  in 
other  parts  and  other  strata.  When  we  speak  of  de- 
velopment, we  do  not  mean  an  orderly  progress  of 
the  whole,  but  only  the  growth  of  tendencies  which 
affect  larger  or  smaller  groups.  To  the  outsider  who 
reads  the  generalizations  of  condensed  accounts 
Hinduism  may  seem  tolerably  homogeneous,  but 
further  study  or  actual  contact  shows  that  the  ex- 
ceptions to  the  rules  are  bewildering  in  their  con- 
fusion. But  it  may  be  possible  to  make  distinct  some 
of  the  principal  elements  of  modern  Hinduism. 

Animistic  Element. — 1.  Animism  covers  the  belief 
in  a  life  which  animates  with  unequal  degrees  of 
power  all  nature,  as  well  as  the  body  of  the  indivi- 
dual. Earth,  air,  and  water  are  peopled  with  spirits 
which  are  mostly  malicious  and  which  must  be  propi- 
tiated, as  the  higher  gods  do  not  protect  against 
them.  Whatever  in  nature  seems  unusual  is  set  down 
to  the  possession  of  spirit  power  and  is  worshiped 
accordingly, — stones  or  local  configurations  which 
are  unusual  or  grotesque  in  size,  shape,  or  position;  ^ 
things  inanimate  gifted  with  mysterious  motions, 
such  as  trees,  rivers,  and  other  material  objects ;  ani- 
mals which  are  feared  and  which  are  odd  or  useful, 
as  snakes,  monkeys,  cows,  and  the  like;  things  use- 
ful, such  as  tools ;  dead  relatives  or  persons  who  were 
strong  or  notorious  in  life,  or  who  died  in  a  strange 
way.    All  these  things  arouse  in  the  common  man  a 

1  An  obscure  remnant  of  the  same  feeling  is  shown  in  Amer- 
ica by  the  names,  *  *  devil 's  pulpit, ' '  *  *  devil 's  punch-bowl, ' '  and 
like  terms,  applied  to  rocks  of  curious  shape. 


EELIGIONS  35 

feeling  of  mysterious  awe.  Joined  with  this  is  the 
worship  of  dead  parents  whose  spirits  are  dependent 
on  their  survivors  for  comfort,  and  who  will  avenge 
neglect  or  any  deviation  from  custom.  This  belief 
is  (1)  a  religion  of  fear,  since  most  spirits  are  mali- 
cious; (2)  a  religion  divorced  from  ethics,  since  spir- 
its have  no  regard  for  moral  ideals;  (3)  a  religion  of 
custom,  since  the  worship  rests  on  blind  tradition, 
and  the  spirits  are  apt  to  punish  departure  from 
custom. 

Incubus  Upon  the  People. — '*  Oh,  evil  one,'*  cries  a 
distressed  mother,  "why  hast  thou  cast  a  spell  upon 
my  little  one?  What  shall  I  do  to  appease  thee?  " 
Every  disease,  every  disaster  comes  from  these  min- 
isters of  evil.  Utmost  anxiety  prevails,  particularly 
among  the  women,  that  right  auguries  and  signs 
should  attend  the  performance  of  every  important 
act  of  life.  The  astrologer  casts  the  horoscope  of 
every  child;  determines  the  wedding  day  and  all 
other  important  days  in  every  family.  No  journey  is 
undertaken,  nor  house  built,  nor  garden  planted,  nor 
field  reaped,  nor  boat  launched,  nor  wife  chosen,  nor 
does  a  birth  or  death  come  to  pass  without  efforts  to 
obtain  favorable  signs  and  to  placate  adverse  gods 
and  to  seek  the  favor  of  the  benign.  No  words  can 
describe  the  oppression  of  spirit  under  which  practi- 
cally all  the  uneducated  of  India  live,  and  this  in- 
cludes over  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  people. 

Its  Wide  Range. — This  religion,  with  varying 
forms  of  worship,  has  existed  from  the  earliest  times. 
It  belonged  to  the  Aryans  as  well  as  to  the  Dra- 


36  INDIA   AWAKENING 

vidians  with  whom  it  is  usually  connected.  It  is  the 
religion  of  one  of  the  four  sacred  Vedas,  the 
Atharva-Veda,  and  may  be  older  than  the  religion 
of  the  Rig- Veda  itself,  being  held  by  the  lower 
classes.  While  only  8,000,000  of  the  population  of 
India  are  classed  as  Animists  in  the  census,  animis- 
tic ideas  influence  the  great  bulk  of  the  population 
of  to-day.  Though  they  acknowledge  certain  of  the 
higher  gods,  the  masses  have  a  religion  mainly  of 
fear  and  of  dealings  with  spirits  and  minor  deities. 

Ritualistic  Element. — 2.  Ritualism.  Sacrifice,  which 
in  the  very  earliest  records  seems  to  have  been  a 
thank-offering,  was  next  offered  to  nourish  the  gods, 
then  to  wrest  rewards  from  them,  and  finally  as  an 
instrument  for  the  attainment  of  supernatural  pow- 
ers. The  greatest  importance  came  to  be  attributed 
to  it,  together  with  magical  properties.  It  must  be 
offered  with  an  elaborate  ritual,  the  virtue  of  which 
was  destroyed  by  a  single  slip.  This  was  known  only 
to  the  Brahmans,  who  largely  by  this  means  attained 
their  position  of  leadership.  While  there  have  been 
reactions  against  this  ritualism,  the  average  Hindu 
yet  ascribes  great  efficacy  to  verbal  and  mechanical 
formulae,  and  the  Brahman  retains  much  of  his 
power  as  an  intermediary  with  the  gods.  This  ritual- 
istic tendency  has  had  an  influence  in  the  shaping  of 
caste. 

Every  Part  of  Life  Covered. — All  through  the  day 
there  is  no  function  of  life  that  is  not  closely  pre- 
scribed for,  and  wo  to  the  man  who  fails  to  conform. 
He  has  broken  the  caste  rule,  and  to  break  the  caste 


RELIGIONS  37 

rule  is  to  invite  universal  ostracism.  The  individual 
is  helpless.  Every  neighbor  is  eyes  to  see  that  he 
walks  the  path.  What  he  shall  eat  and  drink ;  what 
he  shall  wear  and  how  it  shall  be  worn ;  with  whom 
he  shall  consort ;  whom  he  may  marry ;  what  he  shall 
work  at  and  where  he  shall  live,  are  all  laid  down. 
To  our  Western  thought  no  Hindu  is  born,  he  is 
chained  into  a  system.  He  is  as  powerless  to  escape 
as  a  fly  in  a  spider's  web.  There  is  no  way  but  that 
of  patient  acquiescence.  And  when  one  knows  noth- 
ing of  ''  personal  liberty  '*  such  acquiescence  is  no 
hardship.  He  who  is  brought  up  in  a  prison  sighs 
not  for  an  open  sky.  But  he  is  a  prisoner  neverthe- 
less, a  prisoner  ceaselessly  guarded  by  all  his  fel- 
lows, and  terribly  punished  if  disobedient. 

Speculative  Element. — 3.  Speculation.  The  earliest 
religion  of  the  Aryans  is  handed  down  to  us  in  its 
sacred  writings,  the  Vedas,  collections  of  hymns  to 
which  were  afterwards  added  legal  and  speculative 
treatises,  the  Brahmanas  and  Upanishads.  The 
higher  side  of  this  religion  is  presented  in  the  Rig- 
Veda.  It  was  a  worship  of  gods,  most  of  whom 
were  personified  forces  of  nature.  The  language 
used  of  Varuna,  the  sky,  often  approaches  that  of 
monotheism.  Later  there  came  a  tendency  to  iden- 
tify gods  which  had  functions  in  common,  such  as 
the  sun,  lightning,  and  fire,  and  to  ascribe  to  the  god 
addressed  by  the  worshiper  the  characteristics  of  all 
the  other  gods.  Finally  acute  thinkers,  meditating 
long  on  the  problems  of  life,  came  to  conceive  of  a 
single  force  that  lay  back  of  all  the  universe,  of 


38  INDIA   AWAKENING 

which  the  individual  deities  were  only  manifesta- 
tions. It  was  a  matter  of  the  utmost  importance  that 
the  more  influential  of  these  thinkers  conceived  of 
this  force  as  impersonal. 

Pantheistic  Element. — Thus  the  philosophy  of 
India  came  to  be  pantheism,  a  view  that  has  been 
dominant  ever  since.  It  is  a  doctrine  which  it  is 
hardly  possible  to  maintain  with  perfect  consist- 
ency. If  all  is  God,  and  God  is  all,  how  shall  we 
explain  the  apparent  difference  between  things? 
We  can  only  declare  that  difference  is  illusory,  unim- 
portant, negligible. 

Personality  Unreal. — In  the  first  place,  separate 
personality  becomes  unreal  and  should  be  trans- 
cended. Not  only  our  evil  nature  is  to  be  put  aside, 
but  our  best  desires,  feelings,  and  thoughts  as  well, 
everything  peculiar  to  our  individuality.  In  the 
words  of  the  Bhagavad  Gita,  *' Holding  his  body, 
head,  and  neck  even  and  unmoved,  (remaining) 
steady,  looking  at  the  tip  of  his  own  nose,  and  not 
looking  about  in  (all)  directions,  with  a  tranquil 
self  devoid  of  fear,  and  adhering  to  the  rules  of  Brah- 
macharins,  he  should  restrain  his  mind,  (concentrate 
it)  on  me,  and  sit  down  engaged  in  devotion,  regard- 
ing me  as  his  final  goal.  Thus  constantly  devoting 
himself  to  abstraction,  a  devotee  whose  mind  is  re- 
strained, attains  that  tranquility  which  culminates 
in  final  emancipation,  and  assimilation  with  me.^  '* 
This  has  made  the  highest  religious  type  of  India 
to  be  not  the  apostle  or  the  benefactor,  who  seeks  to 

*  Bhagavad  Gita,  VI.  13-15. 


EELIGIONS  39 

bless  others  by  words  or  deed,  but  the  ascetic  whose 
main  virtue  is  renunciation  and  whose  main  concern 
is  his  own  salvation. 

View  of  Good  and  Evil. — In  the  second  place,  any 
difference  in  good  and  evil  becomes  unreal.  Both 
alike  are  illusion  and  both  alike  divine.  All  good  is 
God  and  so  is  all  evil,  for  God  is  impersonal  and  is 
without  quality.  These  words  good  and  evil  are  the 
mere  accommodations  of  our  imperfect  seeing.  In 
Brahma,  the  divine  essence,  all  these  meet  and  are 
without  quality.  The  ascribing  of  quality  is  born  of 
our  ignorance.  Among  lofty  ascetics  such  a  doctrine 
may  render  men  only  useless  to  society,  but  in  other 
quarters  it  may  and  does  lead  to  great  sensual  ex- 
cesses. By  immorality  men  are  only  becoming  par- 
takers of  the  divine  nature.  As  Slater  says,  *'  The 
object  is  not  so  much  to  get  rid  of  sin  as  to  get  rid 
of  the  false  notion  that  we  are  sinners." 

Effect  of  Immoral  Deities. — Of  the  Hindu  Triad,  or 
sacred  Trinity,  not  one  has  an  untarnished  moral  rec- 
ord. It  is  the  stories  of  the  sensuality  and  impurity 
of  their  gods,  as  recorded  in  their  sacred  books,  and 
told  on  the  lips  of  their  votaries,  which  is  polluting 
the  imagination  of  childhood,  and  debasing  the  man- 
hood of  India  to-day.  The  temple  prostitution  in 
the  name  of  religion,  the  sensual  orgies  of  the  Sakti 
worship,  and  the  sensualism  of  Krishna  worship  in 
Bengal  have  poisoned  the  very  springs  of  life  for 
multitudes.  Dishonesty  and  deceit  are  common  in 
India,  not  because  of  the  nature  of  the  people,  who 
are  naturally  more  religious  than  we  are,  but  be- 


40  INDIA   AWAKENING 

cause  of  the  fundamental  lack  of  Hinduism  to  supply 
moral  motive  and  power.  Some  parts  of  the  sacred 
books  cannot  be  translated  and  published  because 
they  come  under  the  class  of  obscene  literature.  As 
Professor  Hopkins  of  Yale  says,  ''  The  Hindu  moral 
code  is  savage  and  antique.  Few  of  the  older  gods 
are  virtuous. ' ' 

Obscene  and  Sensual  Phases. — The  carvings  on  the 
idol  cars  and  upon  the  temples  are  often  loathsome 
and  obscene-  I  prefer  to  pass  over  this  disagreeable 
subject.  If  I  narrated  here  what  I  have  seen  with 
my  own  eyes,  or  told  some  of  the  things  which  are  in 
the  sacred  books  of  Hinduism,  this  book  could  not  be 
published.  There  is  immorality  in  Christian  lands, 
but  it  is  condemned  by  our  religion,  and  contrary  to 
the  spirit  of  Christ;  but  when  immorality  is  incul- 
cated by  the  sacred  books,  when  the  temple  itself 
was  a  focus  of  vice  and  prostitution  until  the  British 
government  drove  out  the  abomination  into  the  dark 
dens  beyond  the  temple  precincts,  when  immorality 
and  sensuality  are  interwoven  with  the  very  fabric  of 
the  religion  and  constitute  a  part  of  popular  wor- 
ship, the  very  life  of  the  people  is  poisoned.  No 
religion  has  sunk  to  lower  depths  in  its  immoral  prac- 
tises than  has  Hinduism;  and  while  strongly  relig- 
ious it  has  not  furnished  the  high  moral  standard  of 
either  Buddhism  or  Confucianism. 

World  Becomes  Illusion. — In  the  third  place,  the 
differences  reported  by  our  senses  become  unreal. 
The  external  world  is  illusion,  maya.  The  philoso- 
pher will  neglect  it  as  much  as  possible.     Such  a 


EELIGIONS  41 

belief  will  check  all  interest  in  human  progress.  No 
genuine  history  or  biography  exists  in  Sanskrit  liter- 
ature. The  Indian  mind,  with  all  its  wonderful 
depth  and  acuteness,  has  given  to  the  world  no  such 
theory  of  the  state,  of  education,  or  of  natural  sci- 
ence as  occupied  the  minds  of  Greek  thinkers. 

Doctrine  of  Karma. — In  the  fourth  place,  panthe- 
ism, with  its  idea  of  an  impersonal  God,  produces  the 
doctrine  of  karma,  the  inevitable  connection  between 
action  and  reward  or  penalty.  We  are  now  the  ex- 
act result  of  what  we  have  been  in  the  past.  This 
doctrine  has  its  ethical  side  and  contains  much  truth. 
Whatsoever  a  man  soweth  that  shall  he  also  reap. 
But  it  makes  no  provision  for  the  grace  of  God  en- 
abling us  to  rise  above  our  past.  Taken  absolutely 
it  becomes  fatalism.  As  a  matter  of  fact  it  has  been 
combined  with  the  doctrine  of  transmigration,  of  suc- 
cessive rebirths,  human,  animal,  or  vegetable.  There 
must  be  some  reason  why  the  impersonal  essence 
that  dwells  in  all  living  things  should  have  such  dif- 
ferent surroundings  in  different  cases.  Karma  is  the 
explanation.  When  life  disappears  from  our  view, 
its  merit  or  demerit  determines  in  connection  with 
what  form  it  will  next  manifest  itself.  The  vital 
essence  of  a  bad  man  may  reappear  in  the  body  of  a 
toad;  a  good  woman  may  hope  to  be  reborn  as  a 
man.  Let  her  beware  of  faithlessness  to  her  lord 
and  husband  or  she  may  reappear  a  rat. 

Baneful  Results. — Years  ago  after  a  sore  famine  in 
South  India,  when  the  returning  rains  brought  prom- 
ise of  bountiful  crops,  a  plague  of  rats  appeared 


42  INDIA   AWAKENING 

threatening  the  harvest.  But  the  pious  villagers 
could  not  be  persuaded  to  kill  these  rats.  Said  they : 
"  Thousands  of  our  people  died  during  the  famine. 
Under  the  stress  of  starvation  they  could  not  keep 
the  caste  rules,  nor  could  we  give  them  right  sepul- 
ture. Hence  they  are  now  rats.  And  shall  we  com- 
mit sin  by  killing  our  own  grandfathers  and  uncles 
and  aunts  and  people?  No,  let  them  eat,  even  if  we 
have  less."  Said  a  poor  servant  woman  who  had 
lost  her  only  child,  on  seeing  a  dog  enter  the  yard 
next  day:  "Oh!  do  not  drive  it  away.  Its  eyes 
look  so  kind;  it  may  be  my  boy  come  back  to  me." 
This  theory  offers  an  explanation  of  the  inequalities 
of  life,  but  it  has  the  effect  of  fatalism  in  that  pres- 
ent evils  are  referred  to  sins  of  a  past  life  which 
has  passed  absolutely  from  memory.  If  I  am  un- 
fortunate, why  should  I  struggle  against  fate?  It 
is  my  karma  and  is  therefore  inevitable.  If  that 
girl,  betrothed  in  childhood,  has  lost  her  husband, 
such  misfortune  must  be  due  to  an  evil  karma. 
Sympathy  is  thus  withheld  from  those  who  need  it 
most. 

Tendency  to  Polytheism. — In  the  fifth  place,  pan- 
theism really  plays  into  the  hands  of  polytheism. 
If  all  is  God,  then  that  idol  or  tree  or  river  is  divine 
and  deserves  worship.  Sir  Alfred  Lyall  says :  * '  The 
present  writer  knew  a  Hindu  officer,  of  great  shrewd- 
ness and  very  fair  education,  who  devoted  several 
hours  daily  to  the  elaborate  worship  of  five  round 
pebbles,  which  he  had  appointed  to  be  his  symbol  of 
omnipotence.     Although  his  general  belief  was  in 


RELIGIONS  43 

one  all-pervading  divinity,  he  must  have  something 
symbolic  to  handle  and  address.'^ 

Upholds  Custom  and  Caste. — Finally,  pantheism 
consecrates  whatever  is,  since  all  is  divine,  and  can 
thus  be  used  as  an  argument  for  custom  and  caste. 
It  would  seem  equally  logical  to  use  it  as  a  weapon 
against  caste,  declaring  that  since  all  men  have  in 
them  the  divine  essence  all  should  be  brothers. 
Karma  has  here  intervened.  A  low-caste  man  has 
been  born  in  the  position  which  he  deserves,  and  any 
attempt  to  raise  him  out  of  it  is  quarreling  with 
Providence. 

Practical  Effects. — Such  are  some  of  the  practical 
results  of  belief  in  an  impersonal  essence  rather  than 
in  a  single,  loving  Heavenly  Father.  High  thoughts 
and  noble  impulses  have  been  robbed  of  their  best  by 
this  theory.  We  shall  never  cure  the  surface  ills  of 
Indian  society  unless  we  can  get  at  the  underlying 
forces  that  help  to  create  and  maintain  these  ills. 

Vedantism. — In  Hinduism  we  must  distinguish  be- 
tween the  philosophy  of  the  few,  and  the  popular 
polytheism  and  idolatry  of  the  masses.  The  vague 
and  conflicting  elements  of  the  Upanishads  were 
later  formulated  into  the  six  orthodox  systems  of 
Indian  philosophy.  The  principal  system,  Vedant- 
ism, holding  substantially  the  positions  just  given, 
shapes  the  minds  of  the  majority  of  educated  men  in 
India  to-day.  Brahma,  the  world-soul,  alone  exists. 
He  is  '*  one  without  a  second."  ^'  Brahma  exists 
truly,  the  world  falsely,  the  soul  is  Brahma."  To 
know  that  '*  I  am  Brahma  "  is  salvation.     To  the 


44  INDIA   AWAKENING 

Vedantist,  religion  is  a  philosophy,  to  the  Christian 
it  is  a  life.  The  Vedantist  denies,  while  the  Christian 
emphasizes:  the  personality  of  God.  To  the  Chris- 
tian, God  is  love,  his  position  is  positive.  The  philos- 
ophy of  the  Yedantist  is  negative.  As  Mr.  Slater 
suggests,  Vedantism  represents  man  seeking  God ;  in 
the  gospel  God  is  seeking  man.  "While  this  pantheism 
colors  nearly  all  Indian  thinking,  it  is  not  strictly 
a  religion,  and  logically  it  would  exclude  all  prayer 
and  worship.  Even  the  majority  of  students  and 
educated  men,  however,  follow  the  practises  of  pop- 
ular Hinduism  in  their  homes;  for  the  Indian  mind 
is  more  hospitable  and  compromising  than  it  is  logi- 
cal. Owing  to  the  vague  thinking  engendered  by 
pantheism,  a  Hindu  can  hold  that  two  and  two  make 
four  with  one  lobe  of  his  brain,  while  with  the  other 
he  can  equally  believe  that  two  and  two  make  five. 
Present  him  with  two  horns  of  a  dilemma  and  he 
will  firmly  grasp  both.  He  believes  at  the  same  time 
in  one  God,  and  in  many  gods.  He  will  accept  Christ 
as  the  incarnation  of  God,  without  excluding  his  own 
Hindu  incarnations. 

Many  Resultant  Sects. — ^What  will  be  the  practical 
effect  of  such  a  subtle  and  abstract  philosophy, 
which  logically  denies  the  personality  of  God  and 
the  reality  of  matter,  on  the  beliefs  and  practises  of 
the  great  masses  who  have  from  the  earliest  times 
worshiped  gods  benevolent  or  demonic,  spirits  of 
the  air  and  earth,  or  objects  animate  and  inani- 
mate? Different  sections  of  the  community  have 
been  affected  in  very  different   degrees.     The  in- 


EELIGIONS  45 

numerable  divisions  of  Hindu  society  facilitate  the 
growth  of  separate  sects,  and  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
Hindu  nature  for  religion  renders  it  especially  sus- 
ceptible to  the  teachings  of  legions  of  reformers 
and  devotees,  some  of  world  influence,  like  Buddha, 
some  with  national,  and  many  with  only  local  repu- 
tation. For  centuries  the  bulk  of  Hindus  have  been 
members  of  sects,  some  of  which  differ  widely  from 
the  so-called  orthodox  views. 

Fields  of  These  Ideas.-— Certain  of  the  ideas  men- 
tioned above  are  wide-spread.  The  belief  in  trans- 
migration and  karma  is  practically  universal.  Ascet- 
icism is  honored  as  a  disregarding  of  the  illusions  of 
this  world.  The  moral  sense  has  been  blunted  by 
the  denial  of  the  fundamental  distinction  between 
good  and  evil,  although  karma  itself  is  based  on 
such  a  distinction.  Pantheism,  as  has  been  noted, 
tends  to  consecrate  both  polytheism  and  the  existing 
inequalities  of  caste. 

Craving  for  Personal  Deities. — On  the  other  hand, 
the  demand  of  the  religious  instinct  for  a  God  who 
is  personal  has  multiplied  the  adherents  of  the  sects 
which  set  up  personal  deities.  Back  in  the  Vedic 
days  Rudra,  whose  name  later  became  Shiva,  was 
a  lesser  deity,  a  storm-god  with  various  attributes. 
Vishnu  was  a  name  of  a  sun-god.  Nothing  in  the 
character  of  either  of  the  deities  at  that  time  indi- 
cated their  future  prominence.  The  stages  of  their 
rise,  while  mightier  gods  decayed,  can  be  only  con- 
jectured. Each  probably  grew  great  by  absorbing 
the  characteristics  of  local  or  tribal  gods,  until  to- 


46  INDIA   AWAKENING 

day  they  are  often  included  with  Brahma,  the  some- 
what theoretical  god  of  the  Brahmans,  in  an  artificial 
Hindu  triad  or  trinity.  Originally  the  elements  of 
this  trinity  had  no  connection  whatever.  Philoso- 
phers say  that  all  three  gods  are  only  manifestations 
of  an  impersonal  being  back  of  all  things,  but  the 
Shaivas  and  Vaishnavas  regard  their  gods  as  per- 
sonal and  ultimate.  This  does  not  prevent  most  of 
them  from  worshiping  other  divinities,  or  from  being 
influenced  by  pantheistic  ideas. 

Shiva  and  Vishnu  Cult. — Shiva  is,  on  the  whole,  a 
stern  deity,  and  Shaivism,  the  earlier  sect,  is  more 
given  to  abstract  meditation  and  is  greatly  animated 
by  fear.  It  is  the  gloomy  view  of  the  destructive 
principle  in  nature  and  its  various  subdivisions  use 
animal  sacrifices.  It  is  professed  by  many  subsects 
of  Dandis  or  staff-bearers,  ascetics  naked,  smeared 
with  ashes  and  cow-manure,  engulfed  in  meditation 
while  mechanically  counting  a  rosary  and  at  inter- 
vals calling  out  the  1,008  names  of  the  god.  The 
great  Vaishnavite  sect,  however,  is  perhaps  the  heart 
of  popular  Hinduism.  Vishnu,  more  human,  less 
formidable,  appearing  in  two  favorite  human  incar- 
nations or  avatars,  as  Rama  and  Krishna,  has  more 
nearly  reached  the  heart  of  the  people.  Monier  Wil- 
liams says:  *'  I  must  declare  my  belief  that  Vaish- 
navism,  notwithstanding  the  gross  polytheistic  super- 
stitions and  hideous  idolatry  to  which  it  gives  rise, 
is  the  only  real  religion  of  the  Hindu  peoples,  and 
has  more  common  ground  with  Christianity  than  any 
other  form  of  a  non-Christian  faith.'*    It  practically 


DEVOTEE   WITH  IRON   COLLAR  VILLAGE   DEVIL 

PRIEST,    MONKEY,    AND    DOG    IN    MONKEY    TEMPLE 


RELIGIONS  47 

makes  Vishnu  a  personal  god,  in  touch  with  human 
life,  sharing  its  hopes  and  joys  and  fears  and  suffer- 
ing in  his  incarnations.  Intense  faith  in  this  god 
whose  many  names  are  ever  on  their  lips  marks  the 
Vaishnavas.  They  have  however  split  up  into  many 
subsects  under  the  pressure  of  Mohammedanism  and 
Christianity. 

Followers  of  Chaitanya. — In  Bengal  Vaishnavism 
has  been  deeply  affected  by  the  sage  Chaitanya  who 
fiercely  declaimed  against  caste,  and  even  took  Mo- 
hammedans into  his  following,  and  formed  a  great 
subsect.  In  contradistinction  from  the  naked,  ash- 
smeared  Shaiva  ascetics  are  the  Yaishnava  Valla- 
bhacharis,  who  worship  Gopal,  the  human  child,  an 
incarnation  of  Vishnu,  and  are  thoroughgoing  epi- 
cureans. 

Consorts  of  the  Gods. — The  third  set  of  sectaries 
gather  around  the  idea  of  the  female  reproductive 
energies  in  nature.  But  as  the  female  is  more  in 
evidence  in  all  begetting  of  life,  various  subsects 
have  gathered  around  the  consorts  of  the  gods. 

Mutual  Tolerance. — ^All  the  sects  of  India,  how- 
ever, are  tolerant  of  each  other,  and  the  prevalent 
practise  is  for  the  worshiper  of  any  one  of  the  gods 
to  scatter  a  handful  of  rice  at  the  end  of  his  wor- 
ship of  his  favored  god  to  all  the  others  who  may 
or  may  not  be,  but  whose  good  will,  if  they  are,  he 
does  not  wish  to  forfeit. 

Scenes  at  Melas. — The  daily  religion  of  the  com- 
mon people  can  best  be  seen  at  the  great  melas, 
feasts,   and  annual  festivals   of  the   various  gods. 


48  INDIA   AWAKENING 

Great  throngs  make  pilgrimages  all  over  India,  while 
multitudes  turn  out  from  the  neighboring  villages  to 
visit  the  sacred  places,  bathe  in  the  tanks  and  rivers, 
and  gain  the  merit  which  accrues  from  the  worship 
of  each  particular  deity.  Unsatisfied,  they  trudge  on 
to  the  next  shrine,  in  the  dim  hope  that  there,  per- 
haps, they  will  find  forgiveness  and  relief.  At  Alla- 
habad I  have  seen  3,000,000  people  gathered  on  the 
banks  of  the  Ganges  at  the  great  Kumbh  Mela.  Here 
are  pundits  reading  their  sacred  books,  Sadhus  or 
fakirs,  and  holy  men  of  every  description.  Here  is 
a  man  whose  arm  is  stiff  that  he  has  not  moved 
for  twelve  years.  Here  is  another  lying  on  a  bed 
of  spikes,  who  has  not  left  it  for  fifteen  years.  Here 
is  a  man  receiving  a  rupee  per  head  to  ring  a  bell 
and  call  out  the  name  of  the  worshiper  to  bring 
him  to  the  attention  of  the  sleeping  god.  Twenty 
thousand  holy  men  march  naked  in  one  procession, 
representing  a  particular  cult  of  ascetics  who  con- 
gregate here  and  who  are  never  clothed.  Thousands 
are  bathing  in  the  water,  calling  upon  their  gods  and 
seeking  to  wash  away  their  sins. 

Great  Complexity. — This  brief  sketch  can  give  no 
adequate  idea  of  the  extraordinary  complexity  of 
Hinduism,  nor  of  its  constantly  changing  character 
in  spite  of  all  the  rigidity  and  unprogressiveness  of 
caste.  It  has  been  influenced  by  Mohammedanism, 
and  new  sects  have  arisen  from  the  mixture.  To- 
day it  shows  the  effects  of  its  contact  with  Christian- 
ity in  several  ways :  1.  There  is  a  large  infusion  of 
Christian  ideas  influencing  it.    2.  There  is  a  passion- 


EELIGIONS  49 

ate  effort  to  revive  Hinduism  and  adapt  it  to  modern 
conditions.  3.  There  are  springing  up  various  eclec- 
tic systems  which  are  the  result  of  a  combination  of 
Christian  truth  and  Hindu  tradition,  and  which  rep- 
resent an  attempt  to  compromise  between  them. 

Spread  of  Christian  Ideas. — The  infusion  of  Chris- 
tian principles  into  the  minds  of  educated  Indians 
is  wide-spread  and  powerful.  We  have  only  to  read 
the  prayer  of  the  National  Congress  on  page  249 
to  see  both  the  deep  religious  spirit  and  the  Chris- 
tian ideas  of  the  new  movement.  There  is  no  men- 
tion here  of  pantheism  or  polytheism,  of  Krishna,  or 
Kali,  of  idolatry  or  caste,  or  any  other  distinctive 
Hindu  conception;  but  the  Christian  ideas  of  God's 
fatherhood  and  man's  brotherhood,  and  the  duty  of 
morality  and  social  service.  And  these  are  just  the 
elements  of  Christianity  which  the  new  movement  has 
adopted.  They  appear  in  almost  every  Indian  maga- 
zine and  lecture.  There  is  also  an  effort  to  expur- 
gate the  immorality  of  Hinduism,  allegorize  its  ob- 
scene stories,  condemn  its  immoral  practises  and 
apologize  for  caste  and  idolatry.  Conscience  and 
reason  are  awake. 

Methods  Copied. — Missionary  methods  are  copied 
in  detail.  We  have  Young  Men's  Hindu  Associa- 
tions, social  worship,  the  teaching  of  the  young,  cate- 
chisms, missionaries,  Hindu  colleges  and  hostels, 
zenana  visitation,  work  for  outcastes,  and  tract  dis- 
tribution. The  movement  is  called  a  "  Revival." 
"What  does  all  this  indicate?  It  shows  the  failure 
of  their  old  methods,  and  the  appreciation  of  Chris- 


50  INDIA   AWAKENING 

tian  doctrines  and  methods  by  that  imitation  which 
is  the  highest  praise,  while  the  fact  that  Christianity 
alone  is  opposed,  is  evidence  that  Hindus  are  awak- 
ening to  the  danger  of  the  decline  of  their  religion 
before  the  advance  of  Christianity. 

Christ  and  Hindu  Thought. — ^Yet  where  Christ  is 
sympathetically  presented,  he  finally  captures  the 
imagination  and  wins  the  heart  of  the  Oriental.  A 
Hindu  political  leader  in  the  south  said:  "  The 
highest  manifestation  of  God  that  I  know  is  Christ 
on  the  cross.  I  find  pictures  of  Christ  crucified,  gar- 
landed and  worshiped  in  orthodox  Hindu  homes.  He 
is  one  of  us,  and  we  revere  him.*'  A  young  revolu- 
tionist, who  was  sent  to  prison  a  short  time  ago, 
when  asked  what  he  would  do  if  arrested,  replied, 
*'  I  shall  go  to  prison  thinking  of  Christ  on  the 
cross."  And  though  formerly  a  Hindu,  he  has  in 
prison  accepted  Christ  and  found  him  his  only  com- 
fort. ''Christ  has  already  won  for  himself  an  influ- 
ence in  Indian  life  far  surpassing  every  other  relig- 
ious force  at  present  active  in  the  peninsula.  The 
present  extraordinary  religious  ferment,  with  its 
many  revivals,  is  almost  entirely  his  work.  Every 
aspect  of  social  reform  is  purely  Christian.  The 
national  movement  so  far  as  it  is  moral  has  been  in- 
spired by  Christ." 

Hindu  Counter-revival. — But  the  present  revival  is 
anti-Christian  as  well  as  Christian.  There  is  a  de- 
termination to  retain  all  that  is  their  own,  and  resist 
the  advancing  foreign  religion.  Their  own  sacred 
books  are  now  m,ore  studied  than  ever  before.    They 


EELIGIONS  51 

are  producing  a  new  apologetic  literature  with  lec- 
turers and  teachers,  but  as  yet  they  have  found  no 
message  for  the  masses.  Even  among  the  educated 
men  the  various  schools  are  divided,  and  there  is  a 
Babel  of  conflicting  opinions.  The  majority,  how- 
ever, center  their  hopes  on  the  Bhagavad  Gita  and 
the  worship  of  Krishna,  v,dth  the  Yedantic  philoso- 
phy. Indeed,  as  held  by  educated  men,  this  is  the 
best  that  Hinduism  presents. 

Contrast  of  Christ  and  Krishna. — The  question 
most  frequently  asked  after  my  lectures  has  been, 
*'  Why  cannot  Krishna  save  us?  "  I  remember  once 
during  a  lecture  a  man  rose  and  asked  this  question. 
I  replied,  "  I  hope  our  friend  will  withdraw  that 
question.  You  will  bear  me  witness  that  I  have  said 
nothing  against  your  religion,  for  I  came  not  to  de- 
stroy but  to  fulfil,  like  my  Master.  If  our  friend 
does  not  withdraw  the  question,  I  shall  be  compelled 
to  contrast  the  spotless  life  of  Jesus  in  his  youth  with 
the  youth  of  Krishna,  marred  by  immorality,  lying, 
and  stealing.  I  shall  have  to  contrast  the  manhood 
of  Christ,  who  went  about  doing  good,  with  the  im- 
moral relations  of  Krishna  and  the  woman  Radha. 
And  I  shall  have  to  compare  Christ's  dying  on  the 
cross  to  save  men,  in  the  closing  act  of  his  life,  with 
Krishna,  who  at  the  last  came  to  Prabhasa  with 
16,100  wives  and  180,000  sons.  His  sons  in  a  drunken 
fight  enraged  him,  and  he  with  a  club  of  iron  killed 
all  his  surviving  sons;  thus  ending  in  destroying 
life,  whereas  Christ  died  in  saving  it.  And  I  shall 
have  to  say  many  other  things  that  will  be  painful 


52  INDIA   AWAKENING 

alike  to  you  and  to  me.  So  I  hope  our  friend  will 
withdraw  the  question/'  He  did  withdraw  it,  poor 
boy,  and  sat  down  as  if  he  were  shot.  Strangely 
enough  the  Hindus  in  the  audience  were  satisfied, 
though  if  I  had  begun  with  an  attack  upon  Krishna 
they  would  perhaps  have  left  in  a  body. 

Eclectic  Systems. — Numerous  eclectic  systems  have 
sprung  up  as  the  result  of  the  impact  of  Christianity 
upon  Hinduism.  As  a  precursor  of  the  new  eclec- 
ticism, came  the  Brahmo  Samaj,  founded  in  1830  by 
Rammohun  Roy,  as  the  result  of  his  study  of  Hindu- 
ism and  Christianity.  Endeavoring  to  found  a  Chris- 
tian monotheism  in  the  Vedas,  the  society  has  taken 
its  stand  against  polytheism,  idolatry,  and  caste.  It 
has,  however,  never  touched  the  masses,  and  after  all 
these  years,  numbers  only  about  4,000  members.  Ap- 
pealing to  the  intellect,  rather  than  to  the  will,  as  a 
negative,  rationalistic  Unitarianism,  it  has  lost  much 
that  is  rich  in  Hinduism,  and  failed  to  gain  the  pearl 
of  great  price,  which  Christianity  offers. 

Arya  Samaj. — The  Arya  Samaj  founded  in  1875, 
though  remaining  within  the  pale  of  Hinduism,  seeks 
jto  get  rid  of  the  abuses  of  that  religion  by  confining 
itself  to  the  Yedas,  where  it  hopes  to  find  pure  re- 
ligion, before  the  evils  of  idolatry  and  caste  were 
introduced.  It  has,  however,  signed  its  own  death- 
warrant  by  proclaiming  that  all  truth,  modern  sci- 
ence and  invention  included,  is  to  be  found  in  the 
Vedas.  The  simple  nature  worship  of  these  writings, 
and  their  call  to  sacrifice  to  gods  long  dead  and  past 
all  hope  of  resuscitation,  offers  no  message  and  no 


EELIGIONS  53 

solution  for  India 's  problem.  Though  more  political, 
powerful,  and  popular  than  the  Brahmo  Samaj,  the 
movement  will  in  time  sink  to  a  place  of  obscurity 
among  the  many  other  sects  of  Hinduism.  The  ques- 
tion is,  What  should  be  our  attitude  to  these  reform 
movements  and  to  the  revival  of  Hinduism?  What 
attitude  would  you  take  if  you  were  a  missionary? 

Imperative  Need  of  Christ. — One  thing  India  yet 
lacks.  Her  imperative  and  immediate  need  is  Christ. 
Such  a  nation  after  such  a  search  deserves  to  find 
the  truth.  Groping  up  the  world's  dark  altar  stairs 
to  God,  they  need  helping  hands  stretched  down  to 
grasp  theirs  in  the  darkness.  Hinduism,  though  it 
has  not  uplifted  or  satisfied  India,  has  prepared  the 
way  in  its  idea  of  God,  of  sin,  of  incarnation,  atone- 
ment, and  redemption  for  the  full  truth  of  Chris- 
tianity. The  modern  eclectic  systems  have  copied 
from  Christianity  its  outward  methods  without  im- 
bibing its  inward  principle  of  life  and  power  or  its 
divine  center  in  Christ.  It  is  a  laudable  last  attempt 
to  resuscitate  Hinduism.  But  it  is  without  an  or- 
ganic center  or  historic  person  in  whom  God  meets 
man,  and  man  finds  God.  It  has  no  message  for  the 
masses,  and  is  only  a  further  argument  for  India's 
need  of  Christ.  The  present  religious  awakening  in 
India  constitutes  a  mighty  plea  for  the  gospel.  The 
present  crisis  is  a  call  to  Christendom. 


THE  NATIONAL  AWAKENING 


It  seemed  mere  dreaming  when,  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  last 
century,  men  arose  in  Germany  and  Italy  who  asserted  the  principle 
of  nationality,  and  declared  that  there  could  be  no  peace  until 
these  two  races  had  attained  full  consciousness  and  realization  of 
their  true  genius  in  distinct  national  organizations.  Matter-of-fact 
people  looked  on  such  prophets  of  nationality  as  mere  fanatics  and 
dreamers.  The  true  realities  to  them  were  the  Bourbon  and  papal 
states,  and  the  innumerable  kingdoms  and  principalities  of  Germany. 
Had  they  not  the  monarchs,  and  the  courts,  and  the  armies,  and 
the  treasuries,  and  all  the  real  weights  and  forces  on  their  side? 
But  the  prophets  of  nationality  saw  deeper.  Behind  the  minor 
differences  they  saw  the  real  unity  of  spirit  of  their  respective  races, 
and  discerned  in  this  the  slumbering  force  of  revolution  and  re- 
generation.  We  know   now   who  best  gaged   the   real    situation. 

— Cairns 

On  February  6,  1908,  a  large  meeting  was  held  to  hear  a  lecture 
on  Bhakti  (devotion),  at  which  nearly  three  thousand  were  present, 
and  Mr.  Tilak  took  the  chair.  Dr.  Garde,  an  elderly  and  highly 
respected  and  learned  Hindu,  a  friend  of  Mr.  Tilak's,  got  up  to 
speak,  and  traced  the  doctrine  of  Bhakti  in  Hinduism  from  Vedic 
down  to  modern  times.  He  mentioned,  while  doing  so,  the  name  of 
Christ  as  a  great  Western  saint  who  practised  Bhakti.  The  name 
of  our  blessed  Lord,  even  when  thus  mentioned,  was  received  with 
such  shouts  and  hisses  that  the  speaker  was  obliged  to  sit  down,  and 
in  spite  of  the  chairman's  efforts  to  keep  order  the  meeting  had  to 
be  closed.  .  .  .  This  would  have  been  incredible  in  India  only 
a  short  time  ago,  and  in  a  great  part  of  India  it  would  be  impossible 
still.  Yet  it  shows  us  what  may  be  expected  if  the  anti-foreign 
movement   becomes    anti-Christian. 

— Andreics 


CHAPTER  in 

THE  NATIONAL  AWAKENING 

India  Awake. — India  is  at  last  awakening.  The 
significance  of  this  fact  can  hardly  be  grasped  by 
the  Western  mind.  This  land  of  the  ''  changeless 
East  "  is  now  in  a  ferment  of  unrest.  A  population 
including  one  fifth  of  the  human  race,  possessing 
probably  the  most  deeply  religious  consciousness  of 
any  nation  in  the  world,  which  has  produced  re- 
ligions affecting  the  life  of  over  one  third  of  man- 
kind, and  which  has  untold  possibilities  for  the  fu- 
ture, is  being  infected  with  the  leaven  of  a  new  life. 

Masses  Yet  Untouched. — This  awakening  may 
easily  be  both  overestimated  and  underestimated. 
On  the  one  hand,  it  is  true  that  the  great  bulk  of 
the  population  is  quite  unconscious  of  the  dawn  of 
any  new  era.  The  isolation  of  the  little  village  com- 
munities which  constitute  the  larger  part  of  India 
is  so  complete  that  the  most  exciting  changes  may 
leave  them  unaffected.  Moreover,  with  such  people 
it  takes  a  long  time  for  a  new  idea  to  win  accept- 
ance. It  would  be  impossible  in  our  "Western  lands 
for  any  section  of  the  population  to  remain  so  igno- 
rant and  apathetic  concerning  events  of  national 
interest. 

A  Momentous  Epoch. — On  the  other  hand,  it  is 
57 


58  INDIA   AWAKENING 

also  undeniable  that  a  new  age  has  been  entered 
upon.  The  vision  and  enthusiasm  which  is  as  yet 
confined  to  so  small  a  percentage  of  the  entire 
people  is  spreading,  and  will  surely  continue  to 
spread  more  rapidly.  It  is  the  most  momentous 
epoch  that  India  has  ever  known. 

Asia  Awalcening. — To  estimate  the  magnitude  of 
the  present  movement  we  must  see  it  in  perspective. 
It  is  not  India  alone  which  is  affected  by  this  new 
spirit.  All  Asia  is  awakening!  India  is  but  an  un- 
conscious part  of  a  wide  series  of  national  awaken- 
ings, at  first  sight  separate  and  unrelated,  which  is 
affecting  this  greatest  of  continents.  From  Japan  to 
India,  from  Korea  to  Persia,  from  China  on  the  east 
to  Turkey  on  the  west,  all  Asia  feels  the  quickening 
of  this  new  life.  Japan  under  Western  influence  has 
undergone  greater  changes  in  the  last  forty  years 
than  any  nation  in  history  in  an  equal  time.  Korea, 
from  its  stagnant  isolation  of  twenty-five  years  ago, 
is  witnessing  almost  kaleidoscopic  changes  under  a 
foreign  rule.  On  a  vaster  scale,  ancient  China  is 
being  penetrated  with  the  forces  of  Western  civiliza- 
tion, through  railway,  post,  and  telegraph  systems. 
In  process  of  an  economic  revolution,  with  a  new 
thirst  for  Western  learning,  awakening  to  a  new 
sense  of  national  consciousness,  these  millions  of 
people  are  also  rousing  themselves  from  the  sleep  of 
centuries. 

The  Near  East. — ^In  the  near  East,  Persia  is  be- 
ginning to  emerge  from  revolutionary  chaos,  while 
Turkey  has  attained  constitutional  government  at  a 


THE   NATIONAL   AWAKENING  59 

bound.  Who  would  have  prophesied  a  decade  ago 
that  Turkey's  revolution  would  come  before  that 
of  Russia,  and  under  the  watchwords  of  *' Liberty, 
Equality,  and  Brotherhood.  "  Are  these  national 
awakenings  really  unrelated  and  sporadic,  or  do 
you  detect  any  great  underlying  causes  at  work  in 
the  entire  Orient  and  in  the  world  as  a  whole?  Do 
you  perceive  any  possible  providential  purpose  in 
the  trend  of  affairs,  and  can  you  discern  the  signs 
of  the  times  in  its  significance  for  the  kingdom  of 
God? 

India's  Political  Unrest. — ^We  are  concerned,  how- 
ever, chiefly  with  the  movement  in  India.  More 
than  ever  before  in  its  history  there  is  a  ferment  of 
new  thought.  While  it  has  not  yet  moved  the  rank 
and  file,  it  has  so  thoroughly  possessed  the  educated 
classes,  who  wield  an  increasing  power  in  India,  that 
it  is  destined  in  time  to  leaven  the  entire  life  of  the 
land.  The  present  movement  is  at  once  political, 
industrial,  social,  intellectual,  and  religious.  Polit- 
ically there  is  gradually  taking  shape  a  growing 
national  movement.  The  very  words  ''  national," 
''  movement,"  *'  liberty,"  and  *'  self-government  " 
are  innovations  of  Western  origin,  undreamed  of  in 
the  past  millenniums  of  India's  history. 

National  Adolescence. — This  birth  of  a  new  na- 
tional consciousness  presents  the  two  adolescent 
phenomena  of  imitation  and  independence.  As  in 
Japan  and  China,  there  is  a  mad  desire  to  copy 
things  Western,  yet  to  resent  all  foreign  interfer- 
ence and  to  hold  tenaciously  to  all  that  is  their  own. 


60  INDIA   AWAKENING 

On  the  one  hand  there  is  the  consciousness  of  West- 
ern supremacy,  the  determination  to  learn  the  Eng- 
lish language,  to  adopt  "Western  methods,  and  to 
reproduce  Western  political  institutions.  They  have 
no  desire  to  return  to  the  ideals  of  their  golden  age, 
nor  to  the  rule  of  Oriental  despotism,  nor  to  their  sa- 
cred laws  of  Manu.  It  is  not  Manu,  but  Mill  and 
Burke  they  are  reading.  It  is  not  the  lives  of  their 
legendary  heroes,  but  those  of  Mazzini  and  Wash- 
ington that  are  furnishing  their  ideals  and  firing 
their  imaginations.  They  are  more  interested  to- 
day in  the  American  and  French  revolutions  than  in 
the  contemplative  philosophy  of  the  Yedic  rishis 
or  the  dreams  of  their  ancient  philosophers.  At 
present  the  extreme  party  is  trying  to  gain  its  ends 
by  fitful  attempts  at  bomb-throwing  and  shooting. 
But  let  it  be  remembered  that  even  bombs  are  of 
Western  origin.  The  sudden  interest  of  these  Ori- 
entals in  chemistry  and  explosives  is  significant. 
Men  are  studying  in  Paris  to-day;  for  Paris  and 
Calcutta  are  the  two  centers  of  the  revolutionary 
movement.  The  majority  of  the  people,  however, 
strongly  condemn  these  violent  methods. 

Self-government. — The  political  aspirations  of  the 
people  find  expression  in  their  National  Congress,  an 
unofficial  self-appointed  Duma,  where  the  Indian  po- 
litical leaders  meet  to  discuss  national  problems  and 
present  their  petitions  and  grievances  to  the  govern- 
ment. Although  divided  between  the  "  extremists  '^ 
who  would  use  force,  and  the  *'  moderates  ''  who 
use  only  constitutional  means  of  agitation,  this  con- 


THE    NATIONAL   AWAKENING  61 

gress  is  the  chief  exponent  of  the  people  in  formu- 
lating their  political  views.  The  watchword  of  the 
extremists  is  "  Swaraj,"  or  ''  self-government,"  and 
their  demand  is  to  become  a  self-governing  mem- 
ber of  the  British  Empire  like  Canada.  It  is  the 
reading  of  England's  history  and  her  struggle  for 
liberty  which  has  fired  their  imagination,  but  the 
necessity  of  a  long  and  patient  process  of  producing 
an  intelligent  self-governing  and  self-disciplined 
people  is  not  yet  fully  realized.  How  far  can  a 
country  like  India,  w^iere  the  mass  of  the  people  is 
illiterate  and  divided  by  race,  and  where  the  leaders 
are  often  actuated  by  self-interest,  be  capable  of 
democratic  government?  What  would  happen  in 
the  United  States  if  only  one  man  in  ten  could  read? 
And  yet  supposing  it  were  true  that  the  United 
States  could  be  better  governed  by  Britain  and 
would  have  less  political  corruption  under  foreign 
rule,  would  her  people  be  willing  to  see  a  foreign 
flag  floating  over  their  country?  Must  we  not  sym- 
pathize with  all  lawful  desire  for  self-government  in 
other  peoples,  and  is  not  this  desire  the  first  neces- 
sary step  toward  its  ultimate  realization? 

The  Industrial  Revolution. — The  movement  is  in- 
dustrial as  well  as  political.  Their  commercial 
watchword  is  ''  Swadeshi,"  meaning  ''  own  coun- 
try."    The  boycott  movement^  of  refusing  to  buy 

1  This  boycott  movement  broke  down  because  ' '  Commercial 
India  ' '  could  'not  be  drawn  into  hurting  trade.  The  subsequent 
development  of  local  industries  is  profitable,  and  therefore  re- 
mains and  spreads. 


62  INDIA   AWAKENING 

British  goods,  and  if  possible  to  prevent  others  from 
buying  them,  which  was  originated  as  a  protest 
against  the  partition  of  Bengal,  has  largely  broken 
down;  but  the  movement  to  stimulate  national  pro- 
duction and  the  enterprise  displayed  in  developing 
their  own  industries  have  come  to  stay.  The  Indian 
reviews  and  magazines,  which  used  to  be  absorbed 
in  philosophy  and  religion  and  were  utterly  obliv- 
ious to  the  present  world,  are  largely  occupied  to- 
day with  articles  on  industry  and  commerce,  the 
secret  of  Japan's  success,  of  American  prosperity 
and  of  British  power.  Students  are  sent  abroad  by 
public  subscription  to  Japan,  Europe,  and  even  a 
few  to  America,  to  study  manufactures.  When 
Western  education  was  first  introduced,  Indian  stu- 
dents had  no  interest  in  science  and  practical  sub- 
jects, but  they  now  insistently  demand  of  the  gov- 
ernment industrial  training  and  the  encouragement 
of  local  industries.  It  is  well  that  this  is  so  in  a 
country  where  nine  tenths  of  the  people  are  depend- 
ent upon  the  land.  An  overcrowded  population, 
subsisting  almost  solely  upon  the  soil,  with  poor 
implements  and  little  knowledge  of  scientific  agri- 
culture, raises  a  burning  economic  problem.  The 
national  spirit  of  the  new  movement  is  now  intro- 
ducing the  first  signs  of  an  industrial  revolution. 
Men  are  turning  from  other  professions  to  business. 
**  Swadeshi  "  iron  goods,  cotton  fabrics,  matches, 
soap,  and  a  hundred  other  home-made  articles  are 
beginning  to  crowd  out  foreign  goods ;  Indian  banks, 
steamship,  and  commercial  companies  are  springing 


THE   NATIONAL   AWAKENING  63 

up  in  the  cities.  And  all  this  in  a  land  whose 
former  religious  ideal  compelled  them  to  forsake  the 
world  as  a  mirage  and  lead  the  ascetic  life. 

Social  Reform. — Social  changes  are  in  progress, 
social  reforms  are  demanded,  and  social  service  is  a 
new  ideal  which  is  possessing  the  mind  of  young 
India.  They  are  beginning  to  strike  at  the  root  of 
the  social  system  of  caste;  for  they  see  how  hope- 
lessly divided  they  now  are.  At  a  recent  dinner  in 
Madras,  in  the  name  of  the  new  national  unity, 
about  thirty  Brahmans,  thirty  Christians,  and  thirty 
Mohammedans,  men  of  high  caste  and  low,  sat  down 
to  eat  together ;  and  yet  no  man  dared  put  them  out 
of  caste.  In  northern  India  I  found  Hindu  students 
inter-dining  in  their  hostels.  The  rules  of  caste 
have  been  relaxed  in  the  large  cities,  and  in  ocean 
and  railway  travel.  Mr.  Tilak's  followers  at  the  na- 
tional congress  ate  together  as  a  sign  of  their  unity, 
and  all  this  from  a  purely  political  motive.  Social 
service  is  an  ideal  which  is  gaining  ground  among 
the  students  who  are  now  working  hard  for  the 
good  of  their  country.  Some  are  devoting  them- 
selves to  politics,  others  to  education  or  sanitation. 
The  true  patriot  now  shows  his  love  for  his  country 
by  fighting  famine,  poverty,  ignorance,  and  disease, 
or  in  endeavoring  to  uplift  the  depressed  classes  of 
"  untouchables."  Contrast  all  this  with  India's 
past  history.  How  completely  the  social  conscious- 
ness of  Christianity  is  beginning  to  possess  the  minds 
of  young  Hindus ! 

Betterment  Inspired   by   Christianity. — There  is 


64  INDIA   AWAKENING 

now  a  growing  sentiment  against  early  marriage 
and  the  prohibition  of  Hindu  widow  remarriage. 
Orphanages,  schools,  and  benevolent  institutions  are 
being  established  by  Hindus.  Female  education,  so 
long  opposed,  is  now  being  advocated.  ''  The  seclu- 
sion of  India  is  a  thing  of  the  past.  The  nation  is 
in  the  mid-stream  of  modern  life,  exposed  not  only 
to  the  full  force  of  the  influence  of  a  British  gov- 
ernment, but  to  the  competition  of  all  the  world. 
The  Hindu  theory  of  the  world  has  broken  down." 
And  all  this  social  service,  and  the  recognition  of 
the  outcaste  under  the  principle  of  the  brotherhood 
of  man,  is  in  direct  opposition  to  the  spirit  of  caste, 
and  foreign  to  the  whole  tradition  of  Hinduism. 
Every  reform  has  sprung  directly  or  indirectly  from 
Christian  teaching  or  example.  It  marks  the  infu- 
sion of  a  new  life  and  will  in  time  create  a  new 
social  order  in  India. 

The  Intellectual  Ferment. — The  intellectual  awak- 
ening is  not  less  marked  than  the  political,  indus- 
trial, and  social  movement.  Western  education, 
which  was  at  first  looked  upon  with  suspicion,  is 
now  eagerly  sought.  ''  Free  and  compulsory  prim- 
ary education  "  are  watchwords  of  the  new  move- 
ment. In  some  towns  where  I  have  been,  the  old 
people  wish  to  build  or  repair  Hindu  temples,  but 
the  leaders  of  the  younger  generation  are  demand- 
ing the  money  for  education.  There  is  no  desire  to 
return  to  the  ancient  models.  Schools  of  the  old 
type  are  dying  out.  One  has  only  to  face  a  bright, 
restless  audience  of  Indian  students,  to  realize  that 


THE    NATIONAL   AWAKENING  65 

they  are  thoroughly  awake.  You  need  only  expose 
yourself  to  a  storm  of  questions  regarding  religion 
and  life  to  see  that  they  are  thinking.  The  topics  of 
their  debating  societies  and  daily  conversation  are 
bristling  with  new  national  ideals.  As  Mr.  Far- 
quhar  says:  *'  The  intellect  of  India  is  finding  itself 
once  more.  Each  practise  of  Hinduism  must  now 
come  before  the  bar  of  reason  and  must  approve  it- 
self as  good  for  man,  or  else  it  must  go.  But  to 
argue  in  this  way  is  to  give  up  the  Hindu  standpoint 
that  men  must  bow  to  the  Vedas,  the  Brahmans,  tra- 
dition, and  custom.  The  fact  is  that  modern  Hindus 
no  longer  believe  in  the  authority  of  the  Brahmans 
and  of  the  Yedas." 

New  Impulse  among  the  Common  People. — ^Among 
the  rising  generation,  even  the  common  people  are 
beginning  to  question  the  old  beliefs.  A  movement 
has  begun  like  that  which  produced  the  Upanishads, 
or  the  revolt  of  Buddhism,  or  Jainism,  from  Hindu- 
ism, which  will  yet  dominate  the  whole  life  of  the 
people.  In  its  effect  upon  thought,  art,  and  litera- 
ture the  movement  is  a  veritable  renaissance.  And 
it  will  be  followed  by  a  religious  reformation.  In- 
deed it  has  already  begun. 

Religious  Phase  of  the  Movement. — *'  There  is  a 
creed  to-day  in  India  which  calls  itself  National- 
ism. It  is  not  a  mere  political  program,  but  a  re- 
ligion; it  is  a  creed  in  which  all  who  follow  it  will 
have  to  live  and  suffer.  To  be  a  Nationalist  in  India 
means  to  be  an  instrument  of  God.  For  the  force 
that  is  awakening  the  nation  is  not  of  man;  it  is 


66  INDIA  AWAKENING 

divine.  "We  need  not  be  a  people  who  are  politically 
strong ;  we  need  not  be  a  people  sound  in  physique ; 
but  we  must  be  a  people  who  believe.  You  see  then 
this  movement  which  no  obstacle  can  stop.  You  see 
the  birth  of  the  avatar  ^  in  the  nation.  You  see  God 
being  born  again  on  earth  to  save  his  people.  Sri 
Krishna,  who  is  now  among  the  poor  and  despised 
of  the  earth,  will  declare  the  godhead,  and  the  whole 
nation  will  rise. ' '  The  Bhagavad  Gita  is  now  studied 
in  India  as  never  before.  The  passage  where 
Krishna  commands  his  disciple  to  rise  and  slay  his 
enemies  has  been  appealed  to  as  a  motive  by  some  of 
the  anarchists  in  Bengal  to-day. 

Influence  of  Christian  Ideas. — Yet  Christian  ideas 
are  being  imported  into  the  Hindu  religion.  The 
Christian  conception  of  monotheism  is  steadily  gain- 
ing ground.  God  is  spoken  of  now  as  *'  Father.-' 
To  see  the  spirit  of  the  new  movement  one  has  only 
to  recall  the  remarkable  prayer  offered  at  the  open- 
ing of  the  National  Congress  in  Calcutta  by  Hindus 
and  Mohammedans.  It  breathes  throughout  a 
Christian  spirit  and  scarcely  a  relic  of  the  pantheism 
and  polytheism  of  Hinduism,  or  of  caste  and  idola- 
try remain. 

A  Spiritual  Monsoon. — The  Christian  conception 
of  the  brotherhood  of  man.  Christian  morality  and 
Christian  phraseology  and  ideas  are  permeating  tbe 
minds  of  educated  Indians  to-day.    For  all  this  we 

*An  incarnation  of  deity. 


THE  NATIONAL  AWAKENING  67 

thank  God.  As  one  has  suggested,  the  whole  move- 
ment is  like  the  burst  of  a  spiritual  monsoon,  where, 
after  the  long  drought  the  parched  ground  which 
seemed  burned  like  brick  suddenly  springs  to  tropi- 
cal verdure  almost  in  a  night,  as  the  thirsty  land 
drinks  of  the  refreshing  rain.  India 's  spiritual  mon- 
soon has  broken,  and  we  await  the  coming  harvest. 
Unconsciously  a  new  ideal  of  life  is  being  created  in 
the  mind  of  young  India  to-day.  The  old  ideal  of 
a  changeless  life  of  contemplation  is  giving  place  to 
one  of  progress,  activity,  self-assertion,  and  self- 
government.  Thus  the  new  movement  is  affecting 
the  whole  round  of  life,  political,  industrial,  social, 
intellectual,  and  religious.  Truly  India  is  awak- 
ening. 

Occasion  of  the  Unrest. — ^Let  us  now  examine  the 
occasion  and  causes  of  the  unrest.  The  immediate 
occasion  was  found  in  the  partition  of  Bengal  by 
Lord  Curzon^s  government.  While  this  division  of 
the  province  was  ostensibly  to  facilitate  the  admin- 
istration of  an  unwieldy  province,  the  leading  In- 
dians complain  that  it  was  carried  out  in  a  manner 
that  disregarded  the  feelings  and  deepest  sentiments 
of  the  people.  To  realize  how  the  people  of  Bengal 
feel,  suppose  that  the  government  at  "Washington,  or 
Ottawa,  without  consulting  you,  should  divide  your 
State  or  Province  in  two,  so  as  to  lose  your  identity, 
prestige,  and  power.  How  would  you  like  it  ?  Every 
year  the  students  in  Bengal  march  barefoot,  in  sign 
of  mourning,  on  the  anniversary  of  the  partition  of 


68  INDIA   AWAKENING 

their  province,  shouting,  **  Bande  Materam,"  or 
''  Hail  Motherland!  Hail  Motherland!  "  which  is 
their  national  cheer. 

Effect  of  Japan's  Victory. — A  cause  of  greater 
significance  which  affected  strongly  the  entire  East 
was  the  victory  of  Japan  over  Russia.  The  Oriental 
nation  which  had  most  earnestly  cultivated  Western 
ideas  and  methods  challenged  the  Occidental  nation 
that  had  most  neglected  them.  The  result  demon- 
strated to  the  satisfaction  of  the  Oriental  mind  that 
the  superiority  of  the  white  race  lay  in  its  educa- 
tion and  not  in  its  color.  Such  an  idea  was  like  an 
emancipation  proclamation  to  the  men  with  yellow 
and  brown  skins. 

Two  Types  of  Civilization. — ^It  is  the  conflict  of  a 
civilization  which  is  progressive  with  one  which  is 
stationary.  One  civilization  breaks  up  the  larger 
social  units  and  gets  down  to  the  individual.  Its 
motto  is,  '*  The  individual  has  inalienable  rights  to 
liberty  and  personal  development,  and  the  greatest 
social  good  can  be  achieved  only  through  the  recog- 
nition of  these  rights."  Its  political  institutions  are 
based  on  the  ideal  of  giving  every  citizen  an  inter- 
est and  a  voice  in  the  public  welfare.  The  rapid 
growth  of  modern  science  has  made  these  ideals  pos- 
sible for  the  entire  population  of  large  states  as  in 
no  former  day.  The  motto  of  the  other  civilization 
is,  '*  The  welfare  of  society  is  preserved  by  obedi- 
ence to  the  customs  under  the  leadership  of  the 
Brahmans.  Let  no  individual  depart  from  the  sta- 
tion in  which  he  was  born." 


THE   NATIONAL   AWAKENING  ed 

British  Educative  Influence. — These  two  mottoes 
are  irreconcilable.  This  mere  comparison  must 
create  unrest.  In  the  words  of  Sir  Alfred  Lyall: 
"  The  outline  of  the  present  situation  in  India  is 
that  we  have  been  disseminating  ideas  of  abstract 
political  right,  and  the  germs  of  representative  in- 
stitutions, among  a  people  that  had  for  centuries 
been  governed  autocratically,  and  in  a  country 
where  local  liberties  and  habits  of  self-government 
had  been  long  obliterated  or  had  never  existed.  At 
the  same  time  we  have  been  spreading  modern  edu- 
cation broadcast  throughout  the  land.  These  may 
be  taken  to  be  the  primary  causes  of  the  existing 
unrest;  and  meanwhile  the  administrative  machine 
has  been  so  efficiently  organized,  it  has  run,  hitherto, 
so  easily  and  quietly,  as  to  disguise  from  inexperi- 
enced bystanders  the  long  discipline  and  training  in 
affairs  of  state  that  are  required  for  its  manage- 
ment. Nor  is  it  clearly  perceived  that  the  real  driv- 
ing power  lies  in  the  forces  held  in  reserve  by  the 
British  nation  and  in  the  respect  which  British  guar- 
dianship everywhere  commands."^ 

Jealousy  for  Old  Ideals.— Mr.  Valentine  Chirol, 
from  the  introduction  to  whose  book  on  Indian  un- 
rest the  preceding  words  were  taken,  calls  attention 
to  the  fact  that  unrest  has  existed  at  all  times  under 
the  British  rule  in  certain  sections  of  the  population. 
It  could  not  be  otherwise.  He  also  holds  that  the 
main  animus  of  the  present  unrest  is  *'  a  deep- 
rooted  antagonism  to  all  the  principles  upon  which 

1  Sir  Alfred  Lyall,  in  CMrol,  Indian  Unrest,  pp.  xv,  xvi. 


70  INDIA   AWAKENING 

Western  society,  especially  in  a  democratic  country 
like  England,  has  been  built  up/'  By  this  he  means 
that  many  of  the  leaders  of  to-day  oppose  British 
rule  because  it  threatens  Brahman  ascendency.  Jeal- 
ousy for  the  old  ideals  strangely  combine  with  a 
recognition  of  the  new. 

Power  of  New  Aspirations.— -There  are  those 
among  the  native  leaders  who  understand  that  any 
hope  for  India  as  a  nation  depends  upon  the  uplift 
of  the  masses  through  individual  development  by  a 
free  use  of  Western  methods.  But  the  sense  of  na- 
tionality, all  the  more  intense  because  so  novel,  fills 
those  who  have  experienced  it  with  an  uncontroll- 
able desire  for  self-assertion,  and  an  aversion  to 
everything  foreign.  The  extremists  of  this  type  go 
very  far  in  their  expressions  of  hostility.  The  great 
masses  are  yet  loyal  to  the  British  government,  but 
the  new  wine  of  the  nationalistic  spirit  intoxicates 
men  and  makes  them  forget  prudence  and  self-in- 
terest. Altogether  the  situation  is  one  to  command 
our  most  earnest  attention. 

Impulse  toward  Nationality. — There  is  stirring  in 
the  world  to-day  a  new  sense  of  nationality.  This 
has  been  developing  slowly  in  Europe  ever  since  the 
Renaissance,  but  has  received  a  new  and  sudden 
impetus  since  the  French  Revolution.  The  nine- 
teenth century  will  always  be  famous  for  the  growth 
of  the  spirit  of  democracy  and  for  the  discoveries 
and  application  of  science  that  are  enabling  democ- 
racy to  realize  its  end.  This  new  spirit  has  now 
touched  the  East.    It  appeals  to  some  of  the  strong- 


THE    NATIONAL   AWAKENING  71 

est  instincts  of  mankind,  those  of  social  self-asser- 
tion, which  have  been  nurtured  by  the  seclusion,  the 
love  of  custom,  the  antipathy  to  anything  foreign 
which  are  so  characteristic  of  the  Oriental  clan  or 
caste.  While  on  the  one  hand  the  narrow  clan  spirit 
checks  for  a  time  the  sense  of  nationality,  it  has 
proved  not  impossible  to  broaden  it  into  the  most 
intense  patriotism  by  means  of  a  ruler  who  com- 
mands the  reverence  due  both  to  religion  and  to  cus- 
tom. The  leading  clans  and  the  clan  leaders  are  the 
first  to  be  vitalized  with  the  new  spirit,  and  they 
know  how  to  appeal  to  the  live  impulses  of  their 
fellow  countrymen,  or  at  least  to  secure  conformity. 
This  is  illustrated  by  the  case  of  Japan.  India  has 
no  native  head  and  no  other  outstanding  symbol  to 
focus  the  rising  spirit  of  nationalism.  The  Brah- 
mans,  the  Vedas,  the  goddess  Kali,  the  Motherland, 
certain  former  heroes,  have  all  been  held  up,  and 
none  of  these  ideas  is  as  yet  strong  enough  to  unite 
the  country. 

Five  Specifications. — ^If  we  analyze  the  contribu- 
tary  causes,  I  believe  we  shall  find  five  which  under- 
lie the  present  unrest. 

Western  Education. — 1.  \Western  education,  bring- 
ing the  inevitable  overthrow  of  the  old  religious 
ideas  and  the  superstitions  of  the  old  order,  and 
introducing  the  dynamic  doctrines  of  the  worth  of 
the  individual,  and  the  equality  of  all  men,  tended 
to  break  down  the  old  system.  The  reading  of  Eng- 
lish history  and  the  struggle  of  other  nations  for 
their  liberty  aroused  the  Indian  mind. 


72  INDIA   AWAKENING 

Impact  of  Christian  Missions. — 2.  Christian  mis- 
sions were  a  most  powerful  cause.  For  over  a  cen- 
tury the  preaching  of  a  lofty  monotheism  and  high 
morality,  the  influence  of  mission  schools  and  col- 
leges, the  circulation  of  the  Bible  and  Christian  liter- 
ature, the  example  of  social  service,  famine  relief, 
the  healing  of  the  sick,  the  care  of  orphans,  lepers, 
and  the  blind,  the  formation  of  a  Christian  com- 
munity, the  denunciation  of  obscenity  and  Hindu 
abominations,  profoundly  influenced  large  numbers 
outside  of  the  Christian  Church. 

Dislike  of  Foreign  Rule. — 3.  In  spite  of  the  jus- 
tice of  the  British  government,  the  natural  antipathy 
to  foreign  rulers  has  operated  to  produce  the  pres- 
ent unrest.  The  same  feeling  which  exists  in  the 
Philippines  toward  the  United  States,  and  in  Korea 
toward  Japan,  exists  in  India,  and  naturally  in  al- 
most every  conquered  country. 

Poverty  and  Taxation. — 4.  The  poverty  of  the 
masses,  and  the  agitation  of  educated  leaders,  has 
led  to  the  unrest  spreading  to  some  extent  among 
the  common  people.  Political  leaders  constantly 
complain  of  England's  predominance  in  commerce, 
the  financial  drainage  of  the  ''home  charges,"^  the 
economic  advantage  of  England  over  India  by  the 
present  fiscal  system,  and  the  heavy  taxes  of  the 
land  revenue  system. 

Break-up  of  Old  Order. — 5.  The  new  movement 
marks    the   disintegration  and  break-up   of  the   old 

1  Particularly  the  large  military  bill  charged  against  India, 
ni'ioh  ■ar^'^er  than  the  amount  spent  on  public  education. 


THE    NATIONAL    AWAKENING 


73 


order  both  social  and  religious.  It  is  evidence  of  a 
growing  dissatisfaction  with  life  under  present  con- 
ditions, and  shows  the  utter  failure  of  Hinduism  to 
lift  and  satisfy  the  people.  One  of  the  political  ex- 
tremists said  to  me,  *'  At  the  root  of  the  whole 
movement  is  religious  discontent.  Unconsciously  the 
people  are  dissatisfied  with  their  own  religion. ' '  ^ 

The  Government  of  India. — The  government  of  In- 
dia is  administered  by  a  Governor-General  who  is 
also  Viceroy  and  an  executive  Council  of  six  mem- 
bers.    One  of  the  six  is  an  Indian  member  of  the 


£/ISrS/i/V  Ti//iA£Sr^A/ 


T  /    a  €  T 


BRITISH    PROVINCES   AND    NATIVE   STATES 

*  That  is,  they  begin  to  see  that  the  new  day  calls  for  indus- 
trial liberty  and  social  solidarity;  Hinduism  denies  them  both. 


74  INDIA   AWAKENING 

Bengal  bar.  India  is  subdivided  into  fourteen  prov- 
inces and  thirteen  native  States.  Lord  Morley's 
reform  scheme,  which  went  into  operation  in  1910, 
gives  an  increasing  measure  of  self-government  to 
the  people.  The  Viceroy's  Legislative  Council  is  to 
have  sixty  additional  members:  twenty-five  elected 
to  represent  the  different  interests  of  the  people, 
and  thirty-five  appointed  by  the  Viceroy.  The 
Viceroy  controls  a  majority  and  has  power  of  veto. 
The  whole  plan  is  statesmanlike,  generous,  and  far- 
sighted.  It  is  already  working  well,  although  the 
people  do  not  yet  fully  realize  their  powers. 

Progress  at  Last. — If,  during  all  these  centuries 
and  millenniums,  India  had  remained  unchanged  and 
satisfied  under  former  invaders  and  rulers,  who  al- 
lowed her  no  liberty,  how  comes  it  that  suddenly 
under  British  rule,  which  has  given  education  and  a 
large  measure  of  freedom,  India  should  now  be 
seething  with  unrest,  often  bitterly  denouncing  her 
present  rulers  and  desiring  to  throw  off  her  present 
yoke?  Persian,  Greek,  Bactrian  and  Scythian,  Tar- 
tar and  Mongol,  Afghan  and  Maratha,  have  pil- 
laged and  plundered  India  from  without  and  within, 
but  she  has  not  even  murmured  at  her  fate. 

**Slie  let  the  legions  thunder  past, 
And  plunged  in  thought  again." 

How  comes  it  that  only  British  rule  has  begotten 
a  divine  discontent  and  new  aspirations,  engender- 
ing forces  which  are  begetting  a  new  civilization? 


THE    NATIONAL   AWAKENING  75 

Macaulay's  Prophecy. — As  Lord  Maeaulay  nobly 
prophesied :  '  *  It  may  be  said  that  the  public  mind 
in  India  may  so  expand  under  our  system  that  it 
may  outgrow  that  system,  and  our  subjects  trained 
in  Western  civilization  may  pray  for  Western  insti- 
tutions. I  know  not  whether  such  a  day  will  come ; 
but  if  it  does  come,  it  will  be  the  proudest  day  in 
the  annals  of  England.  ^ '  And  as  Lord  Metcalf  and 
others  have  said,  **  We  are  not  here  merely  to  keep 
the  peace  and  collect  taxes.  We  are  here  for  a 
higher  and  nobler  purpose — to  pour  into  the  East 
the  knowledge  and  culture  and  civilization  of  the 
West.*' 

Benefits  of  British  Rule. — ^We  may  pause  to  exam- 
ine briefly  the  results  of  British  rule,  and  to  see 
how  far  they  have  fulfilled  earlier  prophecy  and  jus- 
tified the  Queen's  proclamation.  At  least  seven 
benefits  have  accrued  to  the  people.  1.  Peace  has 
been  at  last  established.  After  centuries  of  blood- 
shed from  wars  of  invasion,  a  stable  government 
bringing  protection  from  foes  without  and  abolish- 
ing crime,  thief-castes,  and  thugs  within,  has  been 
an  untold  boon  to  the  country.  2.  The  material  re- 
sources of  the  country  have  been  developed.  There 
are  over  30,000  miles  of  railway  in  operation  which 
places  India  fourth  in  the  world  in  mileage.  With 
over  15,000  miles  of  irrigation  canals  (and  these 
ought  to  be  doubled  in  five  years),  which  have  re- 
claimed over  15,000,000  acres  of  land,  famine  has 
been  prevented  forever  in  some  districts;  50,000 
miles  of  macadamized  roads  have  opened  up  the 


76  INDIA   AWAKENING 

country ;  70,000  miles  of  telegraph  lines  are  in  opera- 
tion under  a  system  in  some  respects  better  than 
those  of  the  United  States  and  Canada.  The  agri- 
cultural resources  of  the  country  have  been  largely 
developed.  3.  Education,  which  we  will  study  in  a 
later  chapter,  has  been  widely  extended,  and  there 
are  now  over  5,000,000  pupils  in  schools.  4.  Sanita- 
tion and  medical  relief  have  been  offered  to  the 
people ;  and  2,500  hospitals  and  dispensaries  treated 
over  22,000,000  patients  last  year.  Plague,  small- 
pox, and  other  diseases  have  been  partly  arrested. 
5.  Trade  has  largely  increased.  In  fact  it  has  gained 
about  tenfold  in  the  last  sixty  years.  India  now 
stands  first  in  Asia  in  its  trade,  with  $595,000,000 
exports  and  $609,000,000  imports.  And  this  in  the 
face  of  having  to  contend  with  22  famines  in  the 
last  fifty  years,  when  28,000,000  people  died,  in  spite 
of  an  annual  expenditure  for  famine  of  over  $3,000,- 
000  by  the  government.  It  is  true  that  the  taxes  are 
5.5  per  cent,  gross,  or  50  per  cent,  of  the  net  produce 
of  the  land,^  which  is  a  heavy  burden  indeed  upon 
such  a  poor  people.  Yet  the  actual  taxes  paid,  per 
capita,  are  about  eight  times  greater  in  Japan  and 
Russia,  and  twenty  times  greater  in  England  and 
France  than  in  India.  On  the  whole,  Indians  eco- 
nomic condition  is  gradually  improving.  6.  An  effi- 
cient government,  with  well-managed  executive, 
legislative,  and  judicial  departments,  is  in  operation. 
The  census  of  India  is  taken  in  a  single  night,  when 
the  315,000,000  of  people  are  tabulated  scientifically, 

*  Imperial  Gazeteer,  IV.  216,  222. 


THE    NATIONAL   AWAKENING  77 

though  divided  into  185  languages.  It  takes  300 
tons  of  paper  and  a  force  of  a  million  men  to  take 
such  a  census.  It  is  probably  the  most  unique  in 
the  world,  and  is  only  one  mark  of  many  showing 
the  efficiency  of  the  British  government.  7.  British 
rule  is  also  marked  by  religious  toleration  and  the 
broad  philanthropic  work  accomplished  by  wise 
legislation,  the  alleviation  of  the  wrongs  of  woman- 
hood, the  suppression  of  obscene  abominations  and 
the  former  unjust  oppressions  of  the  people,  such  as 
the  prohibition  of  the  burning  of  widows  and  of  the 
practises  of  the  thugs,  infanticide,  and  other  abuses. 
The  political  leader  of  a  large  presidency  said  to 
me :  * '  With  all  its  faults,  the  government  of  India 
by  Britain  is  at  least  the  best  instance  in  history 
of  the  rule  of  one  people  over  another.  Lord  Mor- 
ley  has  given  to  the  people  more  than  I  myself 
would  have  done.  And  it  will  take  us  at  least  a 
generation  to  appreciate  and  appropriate  the  re- 
forms which  he  has  introduced."  In  a  word,  Brit- 
ain has  so  well  governed  as  to  change  the  most 
changeless  nation  on  earth,  and  to  awaken  the  most 
conservative  of  Oriental  peoples  to  a  natural  desire 
for  self-government  on  the  British  model. 

Demands  of  the  New  Movement. — The  Bengali  po- 
litical leader,  Surendra  Nath  Bannerjea,  when  asked 
what  he  would  demand  of  the  British  public,  re- 
plied. * '  I  would  say,  '  Modify  the  partition  of  Ben- 
gal ;  release  the  deported  patriots,  and  offer  amnesty 
to  all  political  prisoners;  give  the  people  of  India 
financial  control  of  their  own  taxes,  and  grant  India 


78  INDIA   AWAKENING 

a  constitution  on  the  Canadian  model.'  **  Othei?s 
would  add,  **  Reduce  the  taxes,  lessen  the  expendi- 
ture on  the  army,  make  education  free  and  com- 
pulsory -for  all,  develop  India 's  trade,  irrespective  of 
British  interests/' 

Phases  of  the  Problem. — ^But  let  us  also  see  the 
problem  which  confronts  the  British  government.  In 
a  land  of  famine,  how  can  yau  raise  the  revenue 
without  taxes?  In  a  free  trade  empire,  how  can  you 
have  protection  without  sacrificing  British  interests  ? 
If  the  army  is  reduced,  how  could  you  govern  three 
hundred  millions  of  people  and  guard  them  from 
foreign  invasion,  with  less  than  the  present  staff  of 
1,200  civil  officials,  75,000  British  troops,  and  twice 
that  number  of  native  troops ;  or  only  one  European 
to  over  3,500  Indians? 

Civil  Service. — Out  of  114,000  appointments  of 
$300  or  over,  annually,  97  per  cent,  are  held  by  In- 
dians ;  750  of  the  higher  offices  are  in  native  hands ; 
of  posts  dra-sving,  however,  over  $4,000  a  year,  1,263 
are  held  by  Europeans,  15  by  Eurasians,  and  92  by 
Indians.  In  proportion  to  population,  the  United 
States  has  many  more  representatives  among  the 
eight  millions  of  the  Philippines,  than  Great  Britain 
has  of  her  subjects  in  India. 

Abuses  in  Some  Native  States. — ^We  have  only  to 
contrast  present  conditions  with  the  turbulence 
under  former  rulers,  or  the  present  condition  of 
some  native  states,  to  realize  the  benefits  of  British 
rale.  In  one  native  state  which  I  visited  recently, 
I  found  that  the  ruler  had  six  hundred  wives,  he 


SUREXDRA     NATH     BAXXERJEA 

Political  leader   in  Bengal 


THE    NATIONAL   AWAKENING  79 

had  given  to  the  people  practically  no  schools  nor 
good  roads,  the  loss  of  public  confidence  had  led  the 
people  to  migrate  into  British  territory,  and  good 
land  could  be  had  for  thirty  cents  an  acre.  The 
lower  grades  of  Indian  officials  are  often  corrupt  and 
greatly  oppress  their  own  people.  Most  Indians 
with  an  honest  case  would  rather  be  tried  before  an 
English  judge  than  before  an  Indian. 

If  Great  Britain  Withdrew. — What  would  happen 
if  Great  Britain  left  India  to-day  ?  Amir  Ali  says : 
*'  Anarchy  or  another  foreign  domination  would  in- 
evitably follow. ' '  India  would  welter  in  blood,  with 
hopeless,  internal  wars.  The  material  resources  de- 
veloped in  the  country  would  be  neglected,  and  the 
clock  of  India's  history  would  be  put  back  for  cen- 
turies. The  Sikhs  would  rise  in  the  Punjab,  the 
Mohammedans  would  possess  the  rest  of  northern 
India,  the  Marathas  would  rule  the  west,  Mysore 
or  some  native  state  would  hold  the  south,  endless 
internal  wars  would  result,  and  progress  would  be 
impossible.  Russia,  Japan,  or  some  other  nation 
would  surely  invade  India. 

Is  Great  Britain  Secure? — Mr.  Meredith  Town- 
send  in  his  Asia  and  Europe,  together  with  many 
others,  maintains  that  England  will  not  retain  India, 
as  they  have  sent  out  less  than  a  hundred  thousand 
troops  to  control  twice  as  many  subjects  as  there 
were  in  the  whole  Roman  Empire.  For  the  fol- 
lowing reasons,  however,  I  believe  that  England's 
position  is  assured  in  India.  England's  purpose  and 
India's  need  are  identical  in  demanding  at  present 


80  INDIA   AWAKENING 

a  strong,  benevolent,  foreign  government  for  the 
good  of  the  people.  The  Indian  people  are  peace- 
loving,  the  masses  are  loyal  and  contented.  The 
warlike  races,  such  as  the  fighting  Sikhs,  the  Gurk- 
has, and  the  Mohammedans,  are  in  favor  of  British 
rule.  Moreover,  the  people  are  unarmed,  and  di- 
vided in  race  and  religion.  In  the  mutiny  of  1857 
the  native  army,  in  proportion  to  the  white  troops, 
numbered  eight  to  one;  it  is  now  only  two  to  one, 
while  the  British  possess  the  artillery,  and  the  pres- 
ent railway  system  could  concentrate  the  troops  at 
any  point  within  a  few  days.  Most  of  all,  the  wise 
policy  of  Lord  ]\Iorley  and  the  British  government 
wins  the  loyalty  of  the  conservative  majority,  by 
giving  the  people  self-government  as  fast  as  they 
are  really  capable  of  enjoying  it.  There  will  be  local 
acts  of  violence,  and  a  few  officials  and  missionaries 
may  lose  their  lives,  but  Britain's  wise  policy  is  mak- 
ing for  the  uplift  of  India  and  the  ultimate  education 
and  contentment  of  the  people. 

The  Present  Crisis. — ^Is  it  not  evident  that  the 
present  unrest  and  awakening  presents  a  crisis 
unique  and  unprecedented  in  the  history  of  India? 
Let  us  recall  again  that  this  awakening  is  profoundly 
religious.  It  is  the  religion  and  education  of  a  new 
civilization  which  has  begotten  this  unrest,  and  that 
alone  can  cure  it.  "We  have  unconsciously  and  un- 
avoidably taken  from  the  leaders  of  India  their  old- 
world  view,  with  its  impossible  science  and  philoso- 
phy, history  and  religion.  We  have  largely  demol- 
ished what  they  had.     Do  we  not  owe  them  some- 


THE   NATIONAL   AWAKENING  81 

thing  better  in  its  place?  Are  we  to  lead  them  to 
agnosticism  or  materialism?  and  if  not,  what  can 
satisfy  the  hanger  we  have  created?  Hinduism, 
which  has  had  a  fair  field  for  three  thousand  years, 
has  not  met  the  need  of  India.  Buddhism  died  here 
in  the  land  of  its  birth.  Mohammedanism  had  its 
day  and  failed  to  uplift  India.  The  British  govern- 
ment with  religious  neutrality  and  secular  educa- 
tion confessedly  cannot  answer  to  the  moral  and 
spiritual  needs  of  the  people.  Only  Christianity  can 
satisfy  India's  deep  heart-hunger.  Only  God  him- 
self as  Father  can  fill  the  longing  hearts  of  his 
children,  and  only  we  who  know  him  can  make  him 
known.  Is  not  the  mighty  dynamic  of  the  uplifting 
and  liberating  gospel  the  deepest  need  of  India  at 
this  hour?  How  can  the  present  crisis  be  met  and 
who  will  meet  it? 


INDIVIDUAL  AND  MASS 
MOVEMENTS 


The  value  of  mass  movements  on  mission  fields  is  a  matter  much 
discussed  by  missionaries.  .  .  .  Probably  two-thirds  of  all  the 
Protestant  Christian  community  in  India  have  been  harvested 
through  such  movements.  The  acceptance  of  our  faith  by  individuals 
and  families  is,  doubtless,  its  normal  way  of  advance  in  non- 
Christian  lands.  The  expression,  "mass  movements"  refers  to  the 
seeking  of  admission  to  our  faith  by  large  bodies,  such  as  tribes, 
castes,  gilds,  or  communities.     .     . 

In  such  movements,  profoundly  encouraging  though  they  be,  there 
lurk  evils  and  dangers  not  a  few.  Very  few  such  people  are 
impelled  to  the  change  by  any  deep,  well-defined  convictions  of  the 
spiritual  power  and  beauty  of  Christianity.  Their  motives  are 
of  the  ordinary,  worldly,  it  may  even  be,  the  semi-sordid  type. 
Still  we  are  not  seriously  disturbed  by  the  character  of  the  objects 
or  aims  of  this  turning  of  the  people  to  our  faith.  What  lofty 
purposes  can  one  expect  from  such  a   crowd?     . 

Nevertheless  there  is  supreme  joy  to  the  missionary  in  the  in- 
gathering of  such  masses.  It  brings  with  it  a  vast  enthusiasm  and 
a  new  access  of  power  and  courage  in  the  assurance  that  the  cause 
is  becoming  popular.  And  defections  after  such  movements  are 
fewer  than  is  often  supposed.  It  is  doubtful  whether  one  tenth 
of  those  thus  received  in  India  have  gone  back  to  heathenism. 
.  There  is  the  further  advantage,  from  such  movements,  that 
they  are  conducive,  in  a  large  degree,  to  self-support  from  the 
beginning.  So  many  are  gathered  in  that  it  is  not  a  difficult  thing 
for  them,  under  right  guidance,  to  maintain  their  own  religious 
services  and  schools. 

— Jones 


CHAPTER   IV 


Mass  Movements. — During  the  last  century  multi- 
tudes have  come  over  to  Christianity.  Since  caste^ 
conditions  all  Indian  life,  and  has  for  centuries 
crushed  out  individuality,  and  punished  all  efforts 
at  independence  and  progress,  men  have  been  com- 
pelled to  act  together.  Mind  moves  in  mass  in  India. 
"We  have  to  take  the  people  as  they  come.  We  can 
gage  the  effect  of  these  movements  only  by  a  study 
of  a  few  representative  districts. 

In  Travancore. — The  last  church  I  visited  in  South 
India  was  in  the  native  state  of  Travancore,  near 
Cape  Comorin,  the  southernmost  point  of  India. 
Here  in  the  great  Nagercoil  church  were  a  thousand 
Christians  of  a  single  congregation,  gathered  every 
night  in  the  week  for  a  religious  meeting.  I  wonder 
how  many  churches  in  the  United  States  and  Canada 
could  furnish  a  thousand  people  from  a  single  con- 
gregation not  only  as  its  second  Sunday  service,  but 
during  week-nights  as  well?     And  who  were  these 

^  The  author  has  selected  only  a  few  illustrations  of  move- 
ments that  have  come  under  his  observation.  Movements  in 
other  communities  might  be  added  if  space  permitted. 

^For  full  explanation,  see  Chapter  I. 
85 


86  INDIA   AWAKENING 

people?  To  appreciate  the  present  transformation 
we  must  revert  for  a  moment  to  their  past. 

Work  of  a  Pioneer. — A  hundred  years  ago,  in 
1806,  at  this  very  spot,  might  have  been  seen  a  Ger- 
man missionary  named  Ringletaube  entering  this 
native  state.  By  1813  he  had  gathered  a  community 
t)f  six  hundred  in  *'poor,  ragged,  and  small  congre- 
gations." After  -ten  years  in  loneliness  and  priva- 
tion, ''  without  a  coat  to  his  back,"  he  withdrew 
from  the  country  broken  in  health,  leaving  a  native 
pastor  in  charge  of  the  twelve  Christian  workers. 
Yet  he  was  able  to  write,  *'  My  work  is  done,  and 
finished  so  as  to  bear  the  stamp  of  permanency."  He 
was  never  heard  of  again,  though  probably  he  died 
and  was  buried  at  sea. 

Travancore  Lowest  Castes. — Travancore  is  a  na- 
tive state  containing  about  three  million  people. 
Until  the  proclamation  of  1855,  the  lowest  castes 
were  slaves,  valued  at  two  dollars  and  three  dollars 
a  head.  The  condition  of  the  Shanars  and  other 
castes  was  also  pitiable.  There  lies  before  me  as  I 
write  a  document  or  '*  slave  deed,"  written  on  palm 
leaf,  recording  the  sale  of  five  slaves  at  a  dollar  and 
a  half  each,  to  the  missionary,  in  order  to  secure 
their  liberty.    It  reads,  "  These  five  slaves,  whom  I 

have  enjoyed,  are  handed  over  to  for  ever 

and  ever."  One  of  the  usual  clauses  in  these  docu- 
ments was  "  You  may  sell  him  or  kill  him."  The 
poor  wretches  were  sold  as  serfs  with  the  soil,  so 
many  to  the  acre,  cheaper  than  the  dirt  beneath  their 
feet.     A   man  was   worth    less   than   a    good   cow. 


NEW    CONVERTS    FROM    SIX    CASTES 

BAND    OF    CONVERTED    FAKIRS 

NEW    CONVERTS    FROM    SEVEN    CASTES 


INDIVIDUAL   AND   MASS   MOVEMENTS  87 

These  poor  wretches  could  not  refer  to  themselves 
as  ''I/'  but  only  as  "  your  slave.'*  They  had  to 
stand  at  a  distance  of  ninety-six  paces  from  a  Brah- 
man, a  court  of  law,  or  a  market-place.  To  buy  any- 
thing, they  had  to  leave  their  money  on  a  stone  and 
retreat  to  the  required  distance,  while  the  dealer 
left  their  goods  in  place  of  the  money. 

Oppressive  Customs. — The  women  had  no  rights  or 
means  of  protection.  They  were  not  allowed  by  the 
Brahmans  to  clothe  themselves  above  the  waist,  and 
when  the  missionary  ladies  made  some  neat  little 
upper  garments  for  them,  the  poor  women  were 
mobbed  and  their  jackets  torn  off,  until  the  question 
was  asked  in  the  British  Parliament  why  this  was 
permitted  in  India.  These  outcastes  were  devil-wor- 
shipers, haunted  by  the  fear  of  demons  about  them. 
Upon  the  approach  of  a  Brahman  or  Sudra,  they 
were  obliged  to  leave  the  road ;  in  fact  I  have  often 
seen  them  skulking  through  the  mud  of  the  rice- 
fields,  or  cowering  behind  trees  even  to  this  day, 
after  their  centuries  of  oppression. 

Present  Development. — But  let  us  return  again  to 
our  Christian  congregation.  Here  are  a  thousand 
Christians  in  the  Nagercoil  church,  clothed  and  in 
their  right  minds,  worshiping  in  a  self-supporting 
church.  Across  the  street  is  their  Christian  college, 
with  its  English-speaking  graduates  in  the  congre- 
gation. Up  the  road  is  a  Christian  hospital  where 
last  year  one  English  doctor,  with  a  score  of  Indian 
assistants  in  outlying  dispensaries,  treated  over  150,- 
000  cases;  about  twice  as  many  as  are  treated  in 


88  INDIA   AWAKENING 

some  of  our  big  city  hospitals,  and  run  on  less  tlian 
one  tenth  of  their  cost.  The  average  cost  is  only 
five  cents  for  each  person,  of  which  only  one  half  a 
cent  per  patient  was  received  from  the  mission  board. 
The  college,  enrolling  seven  hundred,  is  self-sup- 
porting excepting  $200  received  annually  from 
abroad  for  poor  students.  The  congregation  has 
been  self-suporting  for  fifty  years,  and  last  year  the 
85  churches  in  the  district  received  all  told  only  the 
nominal  sum  of  $15  a  month,  or  about  seventeen 
cents  per  church,  from  the  denominational  mission 
board.  The  Christian  community  numbers  altogether 
about  70,000  persons  in  connection  with  the  London 
Missionary  Society  in  Travancore. 

Immensely  Paying  Investments. — ^Here  where  sixty 
years  ago  the  people  were  in  a  degraded  state,  I 
found  an  enlightened,  moral.  Christian  community. 
Viewed  microscopically,  the  individual  will  exhibit 
shortcomings,  and  w411  not  come  up  to  the  best  Chris- 
tians in  the  West,  who  have  a  thousand  years  of 
Christianity  behind  them;  in  fact  even  in  the  West 
we  have  some  faults  after  all  these  centuries.  But 
viewed  in  the  large,  as  a  community,  the  change  has 
been  unmistakable,  physically,  mentally,  morally, 
and  spiritually.  The  investment  of  sending  that  old 
missionary  a  century  ago  at  $500  a  year  has  paid. 
It  was  an  investment  in  humanity  at  compound  in- 
terest. 

Rival  Forces. — Here  rises  the  great  Nagercoil 
church  seating  over  a  thousand  Christians  and  just 
opposite  is  the  Snake  Temple  which  gives  the  town 


INDIVIDUAL    AND    MASS    MOVEMENTS  89 

its  name.  These  are  the  two  forces  contending  for 
the  mastery  in  this  land,  representing  light  and 
darkness,  education  and  ignorance,  enlightenment 
and  superstition.  Who  can  doubt  which  will  ulti- 
mately triumph  in  the  country?  Already  of  its 
three  million  inhabitants,  25  per  cent,  are  Christians, 
either  Protestant,  Syrian,  or  Roman. 

Movement  Christward. — ^At  the  very  southernmost 
point  of  India,  at  Cape  Comorin,  side  by  side  stand 
a  heathen  temple  and  a  Christian  church.  Each  rep- 
resents a  religion,  a  social  order,  a  civilization,  sepa- 
rated by  a  great  gulf.  Which  shall  rule  India?  The 
Hindus  represented  by  that  heathen  temple  in  India, 
lost  in  the  entire  country  during  the  last  decade  a 
fraction  of  1  per  cent.,  while  Protestant  Indian  Chris- 
tians (omitting  the  Roman  and  Syrian  communities) 
gained  63  per  cent.  Where  will  this  end?  All  we 
ask  is  time,  your  prayers,  and  God's  grace,  and  we 
shall  have  India  for  Christ. 

The  Emancipating  Savior. — As  I  was  leaving  this 
great  church  I  heard  one  of  their  folk  songs  which 
tells  its  own  tale  of  the  marvelous  uplifting  power 
of  God's  grace  in  this  community. 

THE  OLD  SLAVE  SONG 

*'Our  slave  work  is  done,  our  slave  bonds  are  gone; 
For  this  we  will  never  forsake  thee,  Lord  Jesns. 

The  father  was  sold  to  one  place,  the  mother  to  another, 

The  children  were  scattered, 
But  now  our  slave  work  is  done! 


90  INDIA   AWAKENING 

Wearied  with  labor  in  the  burning  heat,  in  rain  or  cold  or  dew, 

They  beat  us  cruelly  with  thousands  of  strokes, 
But  now  our  slave  work  is  done! 

Dogs  might  enter  the  market-place,  the  courts,  or  the  streets, 
But  if  we  drew  near  they  beat  us  and  chased  us  away. 
But  now  our  slave  work  is  done! 

As  unclean  lepers  who  must  hide  in  the  jungles. 

We  must  leave  the  road  after  warning  those  who  approach, 
But  now  our  slave  work  is  done! 

Come  in  crowds,  brethren,  let  none  hold  back. 

Let  us  worship  the  Lord  Jesus,  our  Savior, 
For  now  our  slave  work  is  done  I  ^ ' 

Transforming  Tinnevelli. — ^Leaving  Travancore  I 

passed  through  Tinnevelli,  which  has  been  the  scene 
of  another  great  movement.  A  night's  ride  brought 
me  within  sight  of  the  spire  of  a  great  church,  rising 
high  over  the  palms  in  the  cool  morning  air.  Within 
twelve  miles  of  that  spire  are  15,000  Christians.  In 
less  than  one  hundred  miles  are  over  100,000  Chris- 
tians of  the  Church  of  England  alone.  As  I  entered 
the  church  I  saw  the  stone  at  the  entrance,  which 
was  once  the  old  altar  stone  reeking  with  the  blood 
of  beasts,  sacrificed  to  the  devils  in  the  demon  temple 
which  had  stood  on  this  very  spot.  When  the  last 
devil-worshiper  was  converted  to  Christianity,  with 
their  own  hands  they  tore  down  that  devil  temple, 
and  erected  in  its  place  this  great  stone  church  seat- 
ing three  thousand  Christians.  I  preached  there  in 
the  morning,  for  we  all  work  together  in  India  what- 
ever our  denomination,  and  in  the  afternoon  I  went 


CHURCH  AT   MENGNANAPURAN,    TIXXEVELLI    DISTRICT 

Capable   of  holding    1,500    people 


INDIVIDUAL   AND    MASS    MOVEMENTS  91 

to  the  next  church,  four  miles  away.  Here,  in  a 
relatively  small  room,  were  a  thousand  Christians 
crow^ded  together  on  the  floor,  as  they  are  every 
Sunday.  I  learned  that  under  the  ministry  of  that 
godly  Indian  pastor,  three  hundred  men  came  out 
every  morning  in  the  year  before  daylight,  at  five 
o  'clock,  to  hear  the  Word  of  God  and  to  pray,  before 
going  a  mile  or  more  away  to  their  work  in  the 
fields.  The  women  held  prayer-meetings  at  night 
down  every  street  in  the  village.  My  fellow  worker, 
Mr.  Azariah,  came  out  of  that  church,  and  it  has 
probably  furnished  more  Christian  workers  and 
leaders  than  any  church  in  India. 

Missionary  Spirit. — The  60,000  and  more  Chris- 
tians of  the  Church  Missionary  Society  last  year 
received  only  $8,000  from  abroad  and  contributed 
over  $50,000  in  cash  for  self-support  or  the  extension 
of  Christian  work,  out  of  their  own  poverty.  They 
will  soon  be  entirely  self-supporting.  They  have 
their  own  Indian  missionary  society,  with  its  mis- 
sion in  Haidarabad,  and  have  sent  seven  mission- 
aries to  the  Telugu  country.  Of  the  450,000  of  the 
Shanar  caste  in  Tinnevelli,  one-third  are  already 
Christians,  either  Catholic  or  Protestant. 

Early  Founders. — ^How  were  these  people  brought 
to  Christ?  The  great  missionary.  Christian  Friedrich 
Schwartz,  had  visited  Tinnevelli  in  1778,  and  in  1790 
ordained  an  Indian  catechist  and  left  the  work  in 
his  hands.  In  1802  the  first  movement  among  the 
masses  occurred,  when  over  5,000  were  baptized  in 
three  months,  but  with  no  missionary  in  charge  many 


92  INDIA   AWAKENING 

fell  away  for  a  time.  After  1820,  when  Ehenius 
began  work  in  earnest,  there  was  a  steady  growth  in 
the  church.  In  1877  came  the  great  famine.  Bishop 
Caldwell  pointed  out  that  the  people  observed  that, 
while  Hinduism  left  them  to  die,  **  Christianity  had 
stepped  in  like  an  angel  from  heaven. ' '  When  they 
saw  the  practical  fruits  of  the  two  religions  con- 
trasted, they  were  deeply  impressed.  In  a  few 
months  the  Society  for  the  Propagation  of  the  Gos- 
pel in  Foreign  Parts  received  20,000  and  the  Church 
Missionary  Society^  10,000,  who  threw  away  their 
idols  and  placed  themselves  under  Christian  instruc- 
tion. The  majority  were  swayed  neither  by  high 
spiritual  motives,  nor  by  the  hope  of  famine  relief; 
for  it  was  given  to  all  alike,  whether  Hindu  or  Chris- 
tian. But  the  people  felt  that  their  gods  had  de- 
serted them  and  that  their  condition  would  be  im- 
proved in  every  way,  physically,  mentally,  socially, 
and  morally  by  the  new  religion.  Conviction  of  sin 
and  the  fuller  appreciation  of  Christ's  gospel  came 
only  later,  as  conscience  was  awakened  and  devel- 
oped, as  in  the  case  of  Israel  of  old  (Ezekiel  xxxvl. 
29-31). 

Approaching  Victory. — ^From  among  the  more 
than  100,000  in  the  Christian  community  in  Tin- 
nevelli  to-day  have  come  some  of  the  best  Christian 
workers  in  all  India.  I  know  of  no  more  deeply 
spiritual  community  in  India  than  has  been  pro- 
duced by  this  mass  movement,  after  it  has  had  time 

*  These  are  the  principal  missionary  societies  of  the  Church  of 
England. 


INDIVIDUAL   AND    MASS    MOVEMENTS  93 

to  be  assimilated  and  Christianized.  Here  again  two 
great  temples  rise  before  us,  the  Christian  church,^ 
and  across  the  sands  the  Brahman  temple  of  Alwar 
Tiru  Nagari,  with  its  idolatry  and  troop  of  immoral 
dancing-girls.  Which  is  ultimately  to  triumph? 
Which  is  worthy?  Remember  that  these  people  were 
never  permitted  to  enter  that  Hindu  temple.  They 
were  devil-worshipers.  Over  the  sands  on  summer 
evenings  still  comes  the  beating  of  the  tom-toms, 
while  the  cries  of  the  throng  about  the  devil-dancer 
rise  in  the  air,  as  the  afflatus  descends  and  the  demon 
takes  possession  of  the  man.  Still  the  darkness  of 
heathenism  possesses  the  multitude,  but  its  days  are 
numbered,  and  ' '  worthy  is  the  Lamb  to  receive  '  *  all 
that  are  his  own. 

"  Lone  Star  Mission." — As  we  pass  northward 
from  the  southern  point  of  India,  a  day's  journey  by 
train  brings  us  to  the  Telugu  country,  just  north  of 
Madras.  The  Telugus  are  an  attractive  people,  dark, 
slender,  intelligent,  speaking  a  musical  language. 
There  are  over  twenty  millions  of  them  crowded 
along  the  east  coast  of  southern  India.  Here  in  1840 
the  pioneer  Samuel  Day  began  work.  Eight  years 
of  faithful  toil  met  with  such  discouraging  results 
that  the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union^  in  Bos- 
ton raised  the  question  of  abandoning  the  field ;  but 
finally  they  decided  to  send  another  man  and  hold 
the  fort.    Nine  years  more  of  seed-sowing  followed 

*  See  illustration,  facing  page  94. 

-  Now  the  American  Baptist  Foreign  Mission  Society. 


94  INDIA   AWAKENING 

with  no  sign  of  harvest.  Again  at  the  annual  meet- 
ing they  raised  the  question,  ''  Shall  the  mission  be 
discontinued?  '^  One  of  the  speakers  turned  to  the 
map  and  pointing  to  Nellore,  isolated  and  alone, 
called  it  the  ''  Lone  Star  Mission."  Dr.  S.  F.  Smith, 
the  author  of  ''My  Country,  'tis  of  thee,"  caught  up 
the  words,  and  before  he  slept  wrote  the  lines  that 
perhaps  saved  the  mission.  In  the  audience  on  the 
following  day,  as  they  unanimously  voted  to  reen- 
force  the  mission,  many  wept  as  the  prophetic  words 
rang  out, 

*  *  Shine  on,  Lone  Star ;  in  grief  and  tears, 
And  sad  reverses  oft  baptized; 
Shine  on,  till  earth  redeemed, 

In  dust  shall  bid  its  idols  fall; 
And  thousands  where  thy  radiance  beamed, 
Shall  crown  the  Savior  Lord  of  all. '  * 

On  the  field  the  missionaries  still  toiled  on  with 
little  fruit  for  nine  years  more.  After  more  than 
twenty  years  of  effort,  all  told,  the  Union  urged  the 
missionary,  Dr.  Jewett,  to  give  up  this  field.  He 
simply  declined  to  leave  the  work,  telling  the  Union 
that  if  they  would  not  aid  him  he  would  go  back 
alone  to  live  and  die  among  his  people.  So  back  he 
went.  The  Missionary  Union  stood  by  him,  and  sent 
out  young  Clough  ''  to  bury  Jewett,"  as  one  of  the 
missionaries  put  it. 

Monumental  Results. — As  I  stood  there  at  Ongole 
with  Dr.  Clough,  white-haired,  a  missionary  Napo- 
leon; as  I  looked  out  over  the  great  buildings — col- 
lege, churches,  schools,  and  manifold  institutions; 


INDIVIDUAL   AND    MASS   MOVEMENTS  95 

as  I  looked  beyond  to  the  crowded  villages  with  their 
thousands  of  Christians,  I  was  deeply  moved  as  I 
thought  of  that  old  missionary  holding  on  year  after 
year,  in  the  early  days  of  discouragement.  And  a 
song  of  joy  rises  in  my  heart  as  I  think  of  the  fields 
where  many  other  lonely,  isolated  missionaries,  far 
from  the  help  or  praise  of  men,  about  whom  no 
books  are  written,  uncomplainingly  are  holding  on 
in  godlike  patience  and  heroism.    They  dwell  among 

**The  bravely  dumb  that  did  their  deed, 
And  scorned  to  blot  it  with  a  name; 
Who  prized  heaven's  silence  more  than  fame.** 

Harvest-time. — ^In  the  great  famine  of  1877  Dr. 
Clough  took  a  contract  to  cut  a  portion  of  the  Buck- 
ingham canal,  in  order  to  save  thousands  from  star- 
vation. His  native  preachers  were  placed  as  over- 
seers  of  the  work,  and  during  the  periods  of  rest 
they  gathered  the  people  together  and  preached 
Christ.  Fearing  their  motives,  the  missionaries  al- 
lowed no  one  to  receive  baptism  during  the  famine. 
Cholera  followed  the  famine  and  Dr.  Clough  tried  to 
hold  back  the  converts,  but  they  thronged  in  upon 
him  from  distant  villages.  They  said:  '^  We  don't 
want  any  money.  We  have  lived  by  our  work.  The 
blisters  on  our  hands  will  prove  it,  but  we  want  you 
to  baptize  us.''  In  all  2,222  were  baptized  on  July  3, 
1878 ;  before  the  end  of  the  year  9,606  converts  had 
been  received  into  the  church  ;  while  this  Telugu  mis- 
sion now  numbers  over  150,000  persons  in  the  entire 
Christian  community. 


96  INDIA   AWAKENING 

Uplifted  Communities. — Again  I  say,  yon  can  find 
plenty  of  faults  in  these  Christians.  They  are  not 
angels.  But  the  community  as  a  whole  has  been 
marvelously  uplifted.  I  saw  one  man  there  who 
seemed  to  me  to  be  the  lowest  human  being  I  had 
ever  seen.  He  could  count  up  to  ten,  painfully  and 
slowly,  if  he  could  look  at  his  ten  fingers  or  ten  toes, 
but  not  beyond  it.  I  asked  him  how  many  children 
he  had.  He  scratched  his  head,  and  replied  with 
some  hesitation  that  he  had  twelve.  His  wife  told 
me  that  they  had  ten.  I  think  the  missionary  esti- 
mated the  number  at  eleven.  But  that  man  had 
three  sons  in  college !  One  will  go  out  as  a  preacher, 
one  perchance  as  a  Christian  doctor,  and  one  per- 
haps into  government  employ,  to  compete  with  the 
Brahman  who  has  had  a  monopoly  of  culture  and  re- 
ligion for  more  than  a  thousand  years.  ''It  is  not 
yet  made  manifest  what  [they]  shall  be.**  The  most 
powerful  apologetic  in  India  will  not  be  a  few  con- 
verted Brahmans,  nor  the  arguments  of  the  mission- 
ary, but  the  mighty  uplift  of  whole  communities  once 
debased  and  degraded,  for  whom  Hinduism  has  no 
message,  and  who  were  without  hope  and  without 
God  in  the  world. 

Movement  Among  the  Malas. — As  described  by  the 
Bishop  of  ]\Iadras,  a  work  began  fifty  years  ago  also 
among  the  Malas,  a  low  caste  of  the  Telugu  country 
in  the  mission  of  the  Church  Missionary  Society.  A 
man  named  Venkayya,  who  could  neither  read  nor 
write,  lost  faith  in  his  village  demons  and  began  to 
pray  to  the  unknown  God  this  simple  prayer : 


INDIVIDUAL    AND    MASS    IIOVEMENTS  97 

**0  God!  teach  me  who  thou  art! 
O  God!   show  me  where  thou  art! 
O  God !  help  me  to  find  thee ! ' ' 

One  day  on  the  banks  of  the  sacred  river  Kistna, 
while  watching  the  people  bathing  to  wash  away 
their  sins,  a  Brahman  told  him  that  if  he  did  not  be- 
lieve in  the  methods  of  Hinduism  he  would  find  a 
missionary  on  the  hill  who  could  tell  him  of  the  true 
God.  As  he  heard  the  story  of  the  cross,  his  heart 
leaped  within  him  and  he  knew  that  he  had  found 
at  last  the  God  for  whom  he  had  been  searching.  The 
missionary  went  back  to  his  village  with  him,  and 
after  a  month  baptized  him  and  about  sixty  other 
pariahs  of  his  village.  He  became  an  ardent  evange- 
list and  for  forty  years  he  preached  Christ  through- 
out the  district.  Thus  began  the  mass  movement 
among  his  caste  in  this  section,  which  has  not  only 
swept  in  thousands  of  outcastes,  but  has  now  begun 
as  a  movement  among  the  Sudras  or  middle  castes, 
who  are  beginning  to  come  in  large  numbers.  Hith- 
erto it  has  been  the  pariah  *s  day  in  India.  Even  now 
the  middle  castes  are  beginning  to  come  over.  Some 
day  the  proud  Brahman  will  ask  to  be  admitted. 
But  as  in  the  case  of  the  Roman  Empire,  the  slaves 
and  outcastes  came  first,  with  a  few  of  Gassar's 
household;  for  not  many  wise,  not  many  noble 
were  called. 

**  Rice  Christians." — I  hear  some  one  say  that 
these  people  are  ''  rice  Christians."  Perhaps  they 
are,  and  you  might  be  if  you  were  in  their  place. 
Suppose  you  had  been  crushed  by  Hinduism,  and  had 


98  INDIA   AWAKENING 

scarcely  ever  been  able  to  get  a  meal  of  rice,  but 
had  to  live  on  coarse  grain  and  millet.  What  if 
you  had  never  been  permitted  to  go  to  school,  nor 
your  ancestors  for  a  thousand  years  before  you? 
Suppose  you  had  never  been  able  to  own  land,  nor 
anything  else  save  broken  dishes,  scavenger  dogs, 
and  asses,  according  to  the  code  of  Manu.^  Suppose  ^ 
you  never  got  a  meal  of  meat  except  the  dead  car- 
casses of  cattle  which  had  died  of  disease  or  a  natu- 
ral death.  What  if  you  had  never  been  permitted  to 
enter  the  temples  of  Hinduism,  and  were  considered 
too  low  to  be  even  touched  with  a  stick,  while  your 
very  shadow  was  polluting.  If  you  had  never  been 
able  to  look  God  or  man  in  the  face,  and  your  only 
hope  of  rising  in  the  scale  for  time  or  eternity  was 
through  accepting  the  gospel  of  Christ,  would  you 
not  be  a  *'  rice  Christian,"  if  Christianity  uplifted 
you  in  body,  mind,  and  soul?  I  have  seen  these  poor 
people,  before  they  became  Christians,  carry  home  a 
reeking  carcass  with  a  song,  because  after  weeks  of 
partial  hunger  they  were  going  to  have  another  full 
meal  of  meat  again.  In  some  sections  the  only  meat 
they  ever  get  to  eat  is  carrion.  It  is  true  the  native 
Christians  eat  rice  where  they  did  not  before  as  out- 
castes,  but  the  only  rice  they  ever  get  is  what  they 
earn  by  honest  toil,  or  by  their  superior  education. 
The  fact  that  they  endure  persecution  is  proof  that 
they  are  genuine. 

Significance  of  the  Mass  Movement. — A  glance  at 
the  map  will  show  the  location  of  the  five  areas  most 

*See  page  15. 


INDIVIDUAL   AND    MASS   MOVEMENTS 


99 


affected  by  these  mass  movements :  1.  Travancore  on 
the  southwest;  2.  Tinnevelli  adjoining  it;  3.  The 
Telugu  field  north  of  Madras ;  4.  The  aboriginal  area 
of  Chota  Nagpur;  where  some  80,000  have  become 


/ 


^.Holiilkand 


Q)" 


^  CAoioNa^jjur^ 


o 


^Tg1u§\ 


a 


INDIA-Fields  t)f  Five  Mass  Movements  -^ 


Christians;  5.  The  Rohilkand  district  in  the  United 
Provinces  of  North  India,  where  the  Christians 
now  number  over  100,000.  In  the  latter  area, 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  grew  from  20,000 


100  INDIA   AWAKENING 

to  90,000  in  a  decade ;  while  the  total  strength  of  the 
Methodists  from  this  mass  movement  is  now  over 
100,000. 

Essential  Factor. — Among  the  foregoing  illustra- 
tions are  both  individual  and  mass  movements. 
''  The  expression  of  mass  movements  is  intended  to 
indicate  the  movements  toward  the  Church  of  fami- 
lies, and  groups  of  families,  sometimes  of  entire 
classes  and  villages,  rather  than  of  individuals.  The 
impulse  that  gives  rise  to  such  movements  is  a  fer- 
ment of  some  kind  of  new  life  in  the  mass,  rather 
than  any  definite  aspiration  separately  realized  by 
each  individual. "  1  Some  object  to  these  movements 
on  the  ground  that  when  people  come  in  masses  the 
character  of  the  individual  cannot  be  tested,  and 
also  that  the  motives  are  not  always  high  and  un- 
mixed. The  non-Christians  contrast  their  own  pov- 
erty and  filth  and  carrion-eating,  their  lack  of  edu- 
cation and  low  social  status,  with  their  brethren  who 
have  become  Christians,  and  come  over  to  Christian- 
ity largely  to  better  their  condition.  It  would  doubt- 
less be  better  if  they  came  one  by  one,  but  suppose 
no  individual  was  willing  to  come  out  alone,  but  that 
all  wanted  to  come  at  once,  what  would  you  do  in 
that  case? 

A  Policy  of  Welcome. — On  the  question  of  motives, 
Bishop  Caldwell  has  said,  ''  I  cannot  imagine  any 
person  who  has  lived  and  worked  among  uneducated 
heathen  in  the  rural  districts  believing  them  to  be 
influenced  by  high  motives  in  anything  they  do. 
1  World  Missionary  Conference,  Vol.  II,  85. 


INDIVIDUAL   AND    MASS   MOVEMENTS         101 

They  have  never  heard  of  such  things  as  high  mo- 
tives, and  they  cannot  for  a  long  time  be  made  to 
comprehend  what  high  motives  mean.  An  inquiry 
into  their  motives,  with  a  view  of  ascertaining 
whether  they  are  spiritual  or  not,  will  seem  to  them 
like  an  inquiry  into  their  acquaintance  with  Greek 
or  algebra.  They  will  learn  what  good  motives 
mean,  I  trust,  in  time,  and,  perhaps,  high  motives, 
too — if  they  remain  long  enough  under  Christian 
teaching  and  discipline;  but  till  they  discard  hea- 
thenism, with  its  debasing  idolatries  and  supersti- 
tions, and  place  themselves  under  the  wings  of  the 
Church,  there  is  not  the  slightest  chance,  as  it  ap- 
pears to  me,  of  their  motives  becoming  better  than 
they  are.  The  only  hope  for  them  lies  in  their  ad- 
mission, as  soon  as  possible,  into  Christian  schools. 
Whatever  the  motive,  provided  it  is  not  sordid  or 
disgraceful,  we  receive  them.^'^ 

Place  for  Training. — But  admitting  that  the  in- 
stances given  above  show  that  the  reception  of  mass 
movements  into  the  Christian  Church  may  be  justi- 
fied, the  principal  problem  remains:  How  are  these 
people  to  be  edified  and  trained  in  the  Christian 
life?  How  shall  we  take  advantage  of  the  mo- 
mentum of  the  mass,  and  utilize  it  in  the  interest  of 
individual  development?  The  successes  were  not 
achieved  by  the  mere  decision  to  admit  the  multi- 
tude. They  resulted  rather  from  the  training  that 
preceded  and  followed  baptism.    It  is  obvious  that 

1  Bishop  Caldwell,  quoted  in  Lawrence,  Modern  Missions  in 
the  East,  236,  237. 


102  INDIA   AWAKENING 

supervision  must  be  very  constant  and  thorough. 
Opportunities  will  be  offered  for  changing  the  cus- 
toms of  a  whole  village  in  a  way  that  would  not  be 
possible  in  cases  of  only  individual  conversions. 
Children  may  grow  up  free  from  immediate  contact 
with  the  rites  of  heathenism.  A  Christian  commu- 
nity life  may  be  formed.  On  the  other  hand,  care 
must  be  taken  to  develop  individual  conviction  and 
initiative.  This  will  require  the  utmost  patience  and 
persistence.  How  can  the  missionary,  with  the  force 
at  present  at  his  command,  find  time  for  dealing  with 
these  problems  adequately?  "What  has  he  a  right  to 
expect  from  the  Home  Church  in  gifts,  prayers,  and 
reenforcements  as  these  mass  movements  become 
more  numerous? 

Problems. — It  is  further  objected  that  such  move- 
ments are  confined  to  a  single  caste,  with  which 
Christianity  becomes  identified  in  the  minds  of  the 
Hindus,  so  that  this  becomes  a  barrier  to  others 
.ioining.  The  complaint  is  that  Christianity  is  a 
**  pariah  religion.'*  Others  object  that  the  people 
are  baptized  too  quickly  and  that  they  do  not  know 
enough  to  be  received  into  the  Christian  Church. 
What  test  would  you  make  for  receiving  such  ig- 
norant people ;  what  did  our  Lord  make ;  and  what 
was  his  attitude  to  those  who  came  to  him  with  im- 
perfect knowledge  or  in  desperate  need  of  material 
or  physical  help  ? 

Madura  Mission  Contrasts. — Come  with  me  now  to 
my  own  mission  station,  and  let  us  look  more  closely 
at  some  of  these  Christians.    Of  the  more  than  20,000 


INDIVIDUAL   AND    MASS   MOVEMENTS  103 

Christmns  in  this  mission,  about  half  come  from  the 
various  respectable  castes,  and  the  other  half  from 
the  three  outcastes.  Pariahs,  Pallars,  and  Chucklers 
or  leather  workers.  Let  us  visit  a  heathen  village  of 
the  latter  caste  near  my  own  bungalow.  As  we  enter 
the  village  we  see  a  low  mound  of  earth,  where  at 
special  festivals,  with  midnight  orgies  and  drunken- 
ness, their  local  village  demon  is  appeased  by  bloody 
offerings.  The  people  are  dirty  and  will  not  send 
their  children  to  school.  The  stench  of  decaying 
meat,  which  is  being  divided  from  the  last  carcass,  is 
sickening.  The  men  amd  women  stand  about  half 
naked  with  no  desire  for  a  better  life.  Oh,  how  we 
wait  and  pray  for  the  first  gleam  of  any  motive,  high 
or  low,  which  will  lead  them  to  desire  their  own  bet- 
terment! As  it  is,  we  must  preach  and  pray  and 
wait,  until  God's  Spirit  moves  them  or  they  see  some 
of  their  own  people  uplifted  by  the  Christian  gospel. 
A  Convert  Tested. — We  pass  down  the  road  to  the 
next  village.  It  needs  no  label  to  show  that  the  man 
coming  out  to  meet  us,  clean  and  refined,  with  happy 
face,  is  a  Christian.  It  was  only  two  years  ago  that 
Kyambu  came  to  us  asking  for  baptism.  His  old 
father  lay  dying,  and  had  sent  for  us  in  haste.  As 
a  boy,  the  old  man  had  studied  in  our  mission  school, 
and  his  heart  was  touched,  but  he  could  not  resist 
the  power  of  his  caste,  and,  stifling  his  conscience,  he 
went  back  as  the  hereditary  priest  of  his  demon  tem- 
ple, for  it  was  his  only  source  of  livelihood.  But  in 
the  hour  of  death  his  conscience  smote  him,  and  he 
pleaded  for  God's  forgiveness  and  asked  admission 


104  INDIA   AWAKENING 

to  the  Christian  Chnrch.  The  pastor  and  I,  using 
our  bicycles,  arrived,  dripping  with  perspiration.  I 
shall  never  forget  the  scene  as  the  old  man  was  bap- 
tized, with  the  entire  family.  The  old  man  died 
soon  after,  then  the  storm  of  persecution  broke. 
They  said  that  his  God  had  killed  him  for  be'coming 
a  Christian.  They  boycotted  the  rest  of  the  family. 
They  said,  *^  You  cannot  draw  water  from  the  vil- 
lage well.  You  cannot  grind  your  grain  with  the 
village  grinding-stones.  We  will  never  eat  with  you 
again  and  never  darken  your  door  in  times  of  trou- 
ble. Your  sons  and  daughters  can  never  marry.  We 
are  dead  to  you,  and  you  to  us.'^  The  young  man 
went  to  bed  at  night  a  prosperous  farmer.  When  he 
awoke  in  the  morning,  his  entire  crop  of  onions  and 
other  vegetables  had  been  taken  up  by  the  roots,  and 
transplanted  into  a  Hindu's  field  a  mile  away,  while 
the  whole  village  was  ready  to  swear  that  he  had 
never  had  any  crop  in  his  field.  Witnesses  can  be 
bought  at  any  time  in  India  for  ten  cents  a  head,  but 
in  such  a  case  as  this  no  payment  would  be  needed. 
The  young  man  however  stood  firm.  On  Sunday  I 
went  out  to  visit  him  and  my  heart  sank  when  I 
heard  that  he  was  in  his  field,  for  I  feared  he  had 
succumbed  to  the  temptation  of  poverty  and  had 
gone  to  work  on  the  Sabbath.  I  went  out  to  the  field 
and  found  the  Hindus  working  on  all  sides  at  their 
crops.  Kyambu  himself  was  sitting  under  a  palm 
tree  by  the  well  reading  his  Bible,  with  a  shining, 
happy  face.  After  a  year  the  persecution  died  down 
into  tolerance,  and  tolerance  is  now  giving  place  to 


INDIVIDUAL   AND    MASS   MOVEMENTS  105 

friendliness.  In  time  we  shall  have  a  Christian 
school,  and  some  day  a  Christian  church  in  that  vil- 
lage for  one  consistent  witness  always  brings  others 
to  Christ.  This  instance  of  persecution  is  typical,  for 
even  though  an  outcaste  becomes  a  Christian  he  will 
be  persecuted  by  his  caste,  and  the  dreadful  ordeal 
of  being  ostracised  by  the  entire  community  is 
enough  to  deter  most  men  from  coming  out.  Yet 
this  man  is  one  of  those  who  are  called  "  rice  Chris- 
tians." It  is  true  he  gets  rice  to  eat  now,  but  only 
because  he  can  earn  it.  If  these  are  rice  Christians 
God  give  us  more  of  them ! 

The  Caste  Problem. — Come  with  me  now  to  a  con- 
gregation of  higher  social  status  and  let  us  see  how 
the  caste  question  raises  a  difficult  problem.  I  found 
the  church  apparently  prosperous  and  self-support- 
ing. Here  were  two  hundred  and  fifty  members  who 
had  come  over  to  Christianity  from  a  respectable 
caste.  But  not  a  single  member  from  any  of  the 
lower  castes  had  joined  the  church.  While  these 
outcastes  were  ostensibly  welcomed  in  the  church,  I 
suspected  that  the  same  condition  existed  here  that 
I  had  seen  in  some  wealthy  churches  in  America,  and 
that  these  low-caste  people  knew  that  the  Christians 
did  not  really  want  them  to  join.  I  spent  the  day 
visiting  these  poor  people  who  were  outside  the 
church.  I  found  one  old  man,  a  Pariah,  who  was  a 
consistent  Christian  at  heart  and  had  long  attended 
the  church.  That  night  we  had  a  meeting  in  the 
church  on  the  subject  of  caste.  We  had  prayed 
much,  for  we  knew  it  was  a  self-governing  church  of 


106  INDIA   AWAKENING 

independent  spirit,  and  if  we  had  any  pride  or  cen- 
soriousness  in  our  hearts  we  could  never  overcome 
oaste  pride  in  them;  for  pride  is  everywhere  the 
same.  First  a  young  Indian  brother  spoke,  a  man 
full  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  of  humility.  Then  we 
turned  to  the  Scripture  and  pointed  out  that  God 
had  first  chosen  the  poor  and  outcast  in  every  nation, 
and  that  what  we  did  '  *  unto  the  least  of  these  -^ '  we 
were  doing  in  reality  unto  him.  The  church  was 
crowded.  After  the  meeting  we  called  a  panchayaty 
or  council  of  the  leading  members.  We  sat  on  the 
floor  in  a  circle  and  placed  the  old  man  in  the  center. 
*'  Old  man,"  I  said,  '*  do  you  wish  to  be  baptized 
and  join  the  church?  "  "  Like  gold!  "  he  said.  "  I 
have  been  waiting  these  twenty  years  for  it."  The 
Christians  replied,  '*  Yes,  we  are  willing  to  receive 
him  into  the  church  and  welcome  him  as  a  brother, 
but  if  he  should  eat  carrion  on  Saturday  night,  and 
come  to  take  the  communion  out  of  the  same  cup 
with  us  on  Sunday  morning,  it  would  be  exceedingly 
awkward  and  painful  for  us."  I  turned  to  the  old 
man  and  said,  '*  The  people  say  that  you  eat  carrion 
and  are  not  clean.  We  know  that  you  are  a  poor 
man,  but  are  you  willing  to  stop  eating  dead  cattle 
if  you  join  the  church?"  *'Yes,"  he  said.  "They 
can  put  me  out  if  I  do."  I  then  turned  to  the 
Christians  and  said,  *'  Here  is  a  man  who  wants  to 
join  your  church;  what  will  you  do  with  him?  "  It 
was  a  critical  moment.  It  was  a  miniature  council 
of  Jerusalem  all  over  again,  and  the  same  restric- 
tion with  regard  to  eating  meats  was  made  here 


INDIVIDUAIi   AND   MASS   MOVEMENTS         107 

also.  No  one  save  a  Hindu  or  a  Jew,  who  had  never 
touched  anything  unclean,  can  understand  the 
struggle  going  on  in  their  hearts.  One  of  them  held 
out  for  some  time,  on  the  ground  that  it  would  of- 
fend some  in  the  congregation  and  drive  away  the 
influential  people,  just  as  our  wealthy  Christians 
argue  in  the  homeland.  Finally  one  man  got  up 
and  took  the  old  man  by  the  hand  and  said,  ''  We 
will  receive  you  into  the  church.''  When  they  had 
all  consented,  we  knelt  in  prayer,  and  the  old  man 
was  received  with  joy  next  Sunday.  As  you  com- 
pare the  conditions  in  India  with  the  social  dis- 
tinctions which  exist  in  America  in  some  of  our  city 
churches,  and  with  the  awful  pressure  of  the  social 
problem  in  our  great  slums,  how  would  you  apply 
the  principle  of  brotherhood  in  the  churches  both  at 
home  and  abroad? 

A  Life  Transformed. — Instead  of  studying  a  com- 
munity, let  us  take  a  typical  instance  of  an  indivi- 
dual. A  generation  ago  he  was  a  little  Pariah  boy 
playing  in  the  streets.  The  dogs  might  enter  the 
Brahman  street  but  not  he.  The  animals  might  stray 
into  the  temple,  especially  the  sacred  cow,  but  there 
was  no  room  for  the  polluted  Pariah,  dwelling  apart 
in  mud  huts,  in  filth  and  ignorance  and  superstition. 
This  year  I  met  in  America  the  old  gentleman  who 
paid  a  dollar  a  month  to  send  this  little  Pariah  boy 
to  school,  or  twelve  dollars  a  year  to  cover  the  entire 
cost  of  his  food,  clothes,  books,  and  education  in  the 
mission  boarding-school.  About  twenty  dollars  a 
year  sent  the  boy  to  the  high  school,  and  a  somewhat 


108  INDIA   AWAKENING 

larger  sum  helped  him  through  college,  though  he 
worked  his  way  as  best  he  could.  Was  the  invest- 
ment worth  while?  To-day  he  is  the  pastor  of  a 
church,  having  under  his  care  twenty  schools  and 
over  1,000  Christians.  He  goes  out  into  scores  of  vil- 
lages to  preach  the  gospel.  He  is  a  wonderful  singer 
and  evangelist,  and  can  hold  the  attention  of  any 
audience,  Hindu  or  Christian,  cultured  or  ignorant. 
Best  of  all,  he  is  a  devout  man  of  God  and  a  dear  and 
beloved  friend.  As  I  sit  with  him  in  his  house,  or 
kneel  with  him  in  prayer  in  my  office,  or  confer  over 
the  great  work  of  the  kingdom,  I  rejoice  in  his  char- 
acter and  daily  life.  Because  the  non-Christians 
could  not  find  an  honest  man  to  be  the  chief  officer 
in  the  town,  and  to  hold  a  position  which  we  would 
call  that  of  the  mayor,  the  Hindus  and  Mohamme- 
dans sent  in  a  written  petition  to  the  government 
that  our  pastor  should  be  made  the  mayor  of  the 
town,  and  to-day  he  is  not  only  the  head  of  the  town, 
without  salary,  but  he  is  the  first  low-caste  man  that 
has  ever  been  permitted  to  walk  down  the  Brahman 
street  in  that  town,  or  invited  to  sit  in  the  Brahman 
houses  as  a  friend  and  an  equal.  The  gospel  that 
can  take  a  little  outcaste  Pariah  and  uplift  him  to 
be  a  son  of  God,  a  leader  of  men,  an  honest  citizen, 
and  a  godly  pastor,  is  the  power  of  God  unto  salva- 
tion. 

Opportunity  for  Advance. — There  are  thousands 
of  other  little  boys  like  this  one  in  the  streets  to-day 
who  could  go  to  school  if  there  were  money  to  send 
them.     Why  should  we  not  give  them  a  chance? 


INDIYIDUAL   AND    MASS   MOVEMENTS  109 

There  are  50,000,000  of  '' -untouchable  "  outcastes 
at  the  door  of  the  Church,  from  whom  multitudes 
could  be  gathered  in  this  generation,  if  we  could  sup- 
ply the  money  to  furnish  Christian  workers  to  gather 
them  in  and  shepherd  them.  Such  men  are  to  be 
found  in  your  mission  and  under  your  board.  Why 
not  make  an  investment  in  such  a  life,  or  in  a  whole 
community?  Will  you  not  stand  by  us  for  a  great 
advance  among  these  outcaste  masses  of  India? 


THE  STUDENTS 


The  mission  schools  and  colleges  have  a  total  of  nearly  half  a 
million  scholars.  Many  thousands — probably  the  majority  of  the 
pupils — pass  through  a  mission  school  without  being  influenced  in 
any  effective  measure  toward  Christianity,  although  they  read  the 
Bible  and  some  learn  to  entertain  a  feeling  of  reverence  for 
Christianity  and  Jesus  Christ.  The  education  and  the  moral  in- 
fluence are  good,  but  further  they  do  not  seek  and  do  not  receive. 
Yet  sometimes  the  deeper  chords  of  Hindu  religious  life  may  be 
touched.  Many  an  educational  missionary  will  speak  of  his  expe- 
rience of  an  eager  face  and  an  attentive  eye,  of  the  visits  that 
were  paid  to  him  after  school  or  college  hours,  of  occasional  heart- 
searching  conversations,  of  earnest  correspondence  about  religious 
matters.  .  .  .  The  instruction  in  mission  schools  is  necessarily 
largely  secular,  eflficiency  is  demanded  in  return  for  government 
grants,  only  a  fraction  of  the  time  can  be  given  to  what  is  termed 
"Bible  teaching,"  and  the  most  direct  Christian  influences  cease 
when  this  is  over,  save  perhaps  for  a  Sunday-school  class  which 
most  pupils  attend.  The  absence  of  larger  results  from  missionary 
education  has  not  been  owing  to  any  lack  of  soundness  in  the 
method.  It  has  been  due  largely  to  the  insufficiency  of  the  forces 
engaged  in  the  work.  The  missionary  himself  is  often  too  over- 
whelmed with  other  duties  to  devote  sufficient  energy  to  the  spiritual 
side  of  the  work.  He  has  often  to  content  himself  with  non-Chris- 
tian teachers.  The  full  harvest  from  missionary  schools  will  be 
reaped  only  when  the  Christian  forces  are  strengthened  by  doubling, 
if  not  quadrupling,  the  workers,  both  European  and  Indian,  at 
present  available  for  this  particular  work.  Even  as  it  is,  mission 
schools  have  exerted  a  far-reaching  influence.  It  would  be  a  great 
mistake  to  estimate  that  Influence  merely  by  the  results  in  baptism. 
They  have  been  slowly  creating  an  atmosphere  favorable  to  Chris- 
tianity, and  have  left  a  deep  mark  on  the  lives  of  hundreds  of 
pupils  who  have  not  taken  the  final  step  of  public  profession  of 
CJhristianlty. 

^Datta 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  STUDENTS 

Importance  of  the  Student  Class. — The  students  of 
India  constitute  an  aristocracy  both  of  birth  and  of 
learning.  Not  only  will  they  occupy  all  the  future 
positions  of  leadership  in  the  government,  and  posts 
of  education,  molding  the  ideas  of  the  ignorant 
masses,  but  they  are  almost  exclusively  from  the 
Brahman  and  upper  castes  and  have  the  power  of 
birth  and  blood  behind  them.  Though  the  Brahmans 
number  only  about  one  twentieth  of  the  population, 
the  majority  of  the  graduates  are  from  this  class. 
And  they  are  perhaps  the  most  compact  and  acces- 
sible class  of  students  in  the  whole  non-Christian 
world.  Converts  from  the  higher  castes  have  come 
chiefly  from  those  who  were  influenced  in  Christian 
schools  and  colleges.  And  most  of  the  social  and 
religious  reform  movements  among  the  non-Christian 
religions  have  been  led  by  Hindu  and  other  gradu- 
ates of  Christian  colleges,  or  men  influenced  by 
Christian  teaching.  If  then,  we  reach  the  students  of 
India,  we  are  molding  a  class  that  will  be  its  future 
leaders  in  every  department  of  life.  And  they  can 
be  reached  in  the  English  language  by  any  man  with 

113 


114  INDIA   AWAKENING 

a  clear  head  and  a  warm  heart,  for  love  is  the  key- 
to  every  heart  in  India  as  elsewhere  the  world 
around. 

The  Educational  System,  i — The  educational  sys- 
tem of  India  is  a  most  interesting  one.  Born  in  the 
brain  of  Carey,  Duff,  and  other  Christian  leaders, 
and  shaped  by  a  wise  government  policy,  it  is  per- 
haps the  chief  factor  in  the  uplift  of  India.  There 
are  five  great  universities  for  India  and  Ceylon,  lo- 
cated at  Calcutta,  Madras,  Bombay,  Allahabad,  and 
Lahore.  Each  of  these  universities  affiliates  and 
controls  a  score  or  two  of  colleges  in  its  own  area. 
The  universities  inspect  the  colleges,  prescribe 
courses  of  study,  hold  examinations,  and  confer  de- 
grees for  all  the  colleges ;  but  like  the  University  of 
London  they  are  not  at  present  teaching  bodies. 
The  examinations  are  very  difficult  indeed.  Of  the 
24,000  bright  candidates  for  matriculation  every 
year,  less  than  half  pass;  and  of  4,750  candidates 
for  the  B.A.,  less  than  2,000  are  successful.  Roughly, 
about  one  fourth  of  the  colleges  are  controlled  by  the 
government  or  municipalities,  and  three  fourths  by 
private  bodies,  whether  Christian,  Hindu,  or  others. 
The  government  gives  grants-in-aid  to  missionary  and 
other  institutions  which  submit  to  the  required  inspec- 
tion and  pass  the  government  examinations  and  re- 
quirements. When  Bishop  Thobum  went  to  India  in 
1859,  there  were  only  2,000  public  schools  with  less 
than  200,000  pupils.  Now  the  institutions  in  India,  ac- 
cording to  the  latest  report,  number  in  all  165,473 

^  See  Appendixes  E-I. 


THE    STUDENTS  115 

with  5,708,238  pupils.  There  has  been  a  tenfold  in- 
crease in  the  educational  department  of  India  in  the 
last  forty  years.  In  India  and  Ceylon  there  are  53 
colleges  under  Christian  management,  so  that  about 
one  third  of  the  education  in  colleges  is  in  Christian 
hands.  There  are  also  11,500  primary  schools  with 
361,000  scholars  under  missionary  control.  Relative 
to  the  size  of  the  communities,  four  times  as  many 
Christian  young  men  receive  a  college  education  as 
Hindus ;  and  relatively  four  times  as  many  Christian 
children  attend  primary  schools ;  while  the  Christians 
outnumber  the  Mohammedans  twelve  to  one  in  the 
proportion  being  educated.  There  is,  however,  a 
need  for  further  advance  in  education,  for  in  all  In- 
dia only  16,000,000  are  literate  and  278,000,000  illit- 
erate ;  while  1,125,000  are  literate  in  English.  Of  the 
78,730,000  children  under  ten  years  of  age  in  India, 
only  613,000  are  literate  and  over  78,000,000  are  illit- 
erate. Still  only  one  man  in  ten  can  read  and  write, 
and  1  in  144  among  the  women. 

Important  Features. — Four  very  important  fea- 
tures of  the  system  deserve  to  be  noted  at  the  out- 
set: (1)  Following  the  English  practise,  the  gov- 
ernment exercises  no  direct  control  over  educational 
institutions  other  than  those  maintained  by  the 
state,  though  its  influence  is  brought  in  several 
ways  indirectly  to  bear  upon  all  that  are  not  pre- 
pared to  reject  the  benefits  which  it  can  extend  to 
them;  (2)  The  government  has  concentrated  its  ef- 
forts mainly  upon  higher  education,  and  has  thus 
begun  from  the  top,  in  the  over-sanguine  belief  that 


116  INDIA   AWAKENING 

education  would  ultimately  filter  down  from  the 
higher  to  the  lower  strata  of  Indian  society;  (3)  In- 
struction in  the  various  courses,  mostly  literary, 
which  constitute  higher  education  is  conveyed 
through  the  medium  of  English,  a  tongue  still  ab- 
solutely foreign  to  the  vast  majority;  and  (4) 
Education  is  generally  confined  to  the  training  of  the 
intellect  and  divorced  not  only  absolutely  from  all 
religious  teaching,  but  also  very  largely  from  all 
moral  training  and  discipline,  with  the  result  that 
the  vital  side  of  education  which  consists  in  the  for- 
mation of  character  has  been  almost  entirely 
neglected.^ 

Subjects  Chosen. — The  studies  which  are  most  pop- 
ular, and  the  optional  subjects  which  are  most  chosen 
just  now  among  Indian  students  are  English  lan- 
guage, literature,  and  history;  next  law;  and  then 
physical  science.  The  two  subjects  in  which  they  ex- 
cel and  have  gained  a  world-wide  reputation,  philos- 
ophy and  mathematics,  are  much  less  frequently 
taken.  The  reason  is  that  most  students  take  easy 
courses,  or  ''  soft  snaps,*'  or  any  short  cut  that  will 
lead  to  a  B.A.  and  a  livelihood.  But  I  have  known 
of  other  students  outside  of  the  Orient  who  are  guilty 
of  the  same  thing. 

Defects  of  the  System. — Indian  student  life  is  a 
terrible  grind,  with  little  time  or  inclination  for  ath- 
letics, social  life,  or  general  culture.  Manual  train- 
ing, and  technical  and  agricultural  schools,  which 
India  so  much  needs,  have  been  neglected  until  re- 
1  Chirol,  Indian  Unrest,  208. 


THE    STUDENTS  117 

cently,  and  the  whole  system  is  weakened  by  the 
method  of  cramming.  A  yet  more  serious  defect  is 
the  secular  character  of  education  under  the  gov- 
ernment. Western  education  breaks  down  the  old 
superstitions  and  provides  no  substitute.  Modern 
education  apart  from  Christianity  destroys  but  does 
not  build  up  faith.  The  students  are  simply  drifting 
from  their  former  faith  to  materialism  and  atheism. 
As  a  Brahman  said:  "  Young  men  who  have  been 
educated  in  the  government  schools  come  out  athe- 
ists and  unreliable  in  character.  The  young  men 
whom  the  missionaries  educate  come  from  the 
schools  with  faith  in  God  and  satisfactory  stability 
of  character.'* 

"Mastering'*  English. — Indian  students  have  at 
first  to  struggle  with  English  because  it  is  compul- 
sory in  all  universities,  as  we  do  with  foreign  lan- 
guages, and  the  Indian  student  has  the  disadvantage 
of  taking  all  his  higher  education  in  a  foreign  tongue. 
Beginners  in  English  make  very  laughable  mistakes 
just  as  we  do  when  we  begin  to  preach  on  the  for- 
eign field.  Here  is  a  Bombay  high  school  student's 
essay  on  the  horse.  It  may  perhaps  rest  the  reader.^ 
*  *  The  horse  is  a  very  noble  quadruped,  but  when  he 
is  angry  he  will  not  do  so.  He  is  ridden  on  the  spi- 
nal cord  by  the  bridle,  and  sadly  the  driver  places 
his  foots  on  the  stirrup  and  divides  his  lower  limbs 
across  the  saddle,  and  drives  his  animal  to  the  mea- 
dow.    He  has  a  long  mouth,  and  his  head  is  at- 

^  These  examples  do  not  represent  the  English  spoken  by  uni- 
versity graduates. 


118  INDIA   AWAKENING 

tached  to  the  trunk  by  a  long  protuberance  called  the 
neck.  He  has  four  legs;  two  are  in  the  front  side, 
and  two  are  afterwards.  These  are  the  weapons  on 
which  he  runs  and  also  defends  himself  by  extending 
those  in  the  rear  in  a  parallel  direction  toward  his 
foe.  But  this  he  does  only  when  in  a  vexatious 
mood.  His  fooding  is  generally  grasses  and  grains. 
He  is  also  useful  to  take  on  his  back  a  man  or  woman 
as  well  as  some  cargo.  He  has  power  to  run  as  fast 
as  he  could.  He  has  got  no  sleep  at  night  time,  but 
always  standing  awaken.  Also  there  are  horses  of 
short  sizes.  They  do  the  same  as  the  others  are  gen- 
erally doing.  There  is  no  animal  like  the  horse.  No 
sooner  they  see  their  guardian  or  master  they  always 
crying  for  fooding,  but  it  is  always  at  the  morning 
time.  They  have  got  tail,  but  not  so  long  as  the  cow 
and  other  such-like  animals. ' ' 

Two  Letters. — ^Here  are  two  letters  of  gratitude 
from  the  husbands  of  patients  written  to  a  lady  doc- 
tor in  western  India : 

NO.  1.    CUBED 
*'Dear  She, 

My  wife  has  returned  from  your  hospital  cured.     Provided 
males  are  allowed  at  your  bungalow,  I  would  like  to  do  you  the 
honor  of  presenting  myself  there  this  afternoon.     But  I  will 
not  try  to  repay  you;  vengeance  belongeth  unto  God. 
Yours  noticeably, 


NO.  2.     DEAD 
* '  Dear  and  Fair  Madam, 

I  have  much  pleasure  to  inform  you  that  my  dearly  unfortu- 
nate wife  will  be  no  longer  under  your  kind  treatment,  she  hav- 


THE    STUDENTS  119 

ing  left  this  world  for  the  other  on  the  night  of  the  27th  ultimo. 
For  your  help  in  this  matter,  I  shall  ever  remain  grateful. 
Yours  reverently, 

Aim  of  Education. — The  threefold  aim  of  Christian 
education,  as  stated  by  the  Educational  Commission 
of  the  Edinburgh  Conference  of  1910,  is:  (1)  To  de- 
velop the  Christian  community  and  to  train  Christian 
leaders;  (2)  To  wLcl  converts  from  the  non-Christian 
community;  and  (3)  To  leaven  the  life  of  the  people 
and  prepare  the  way  by  immediate  reforms  for  a 
future  ingathering.  There  is  a  difference  of  opinion 
as  to  which  of  these  three  is  the  most  important,  and 
the  conduct  of  a  college  depends  upon  one's  theory 
of  education. 

Lines  of  Approach. — There  are  accessible  in  the 
student  field,  in  the  English  language,  the  25,000  col- 
lege students,  the  upper  grades  of  the  654,000  high 
school  students,  and  over  a  million  former  students 
who  are  literate  in  English.  Every  worker  among 
students,  however,  should  be  especially  prepared  for 
this  difficult  work  and  should  make  a  thorough  study 
of  the  religions  of  the  country  and  of  the  vernacular 
in  the  district  where  he  resides.  Though  the  students 
will  flock  to  English  lectures  on  religious  subjects, 
though  their  religious  vocabulary  in  mission  colleges 
has  been  formed  in  English,  and  though  they  prefer 
to  speak  in  English,  the  heart  of  India  lies  in  the 
vernacular  and  the  language  should  be  mastered. 
There  is  also  urgent  need  for  reaching  men  by  the 
production  of  an  able  and  attractive  literature.  There 
are  2,193  presses  in  India.    In  1908  they  issued  753 


120  INDIA   AWAKENING 

newspapers,  and  1,062  periodicals,  with  1,524  books 
in  English,  7,081  in  the  vernaculars.  Men  of  literary- 
gifts  will  find  a  large  opening  in  India  both  in  pro- 
ducing literature  themselves,  and  in  developing  the 
latent  talent  of  the  Indian  Christian  community. 
Heretofore  education  in  India  has  been  more  literary 
than  practical  to  meet  the  natural  demand  of  the 
people.  India  in  1900  had  only  123  industrial  and 
technical  schools  as  compared  to  1,954  in  Japan. 
Japan's  victory  over  Russia,  however,  and  the  pres- 
ent industrial  awakening  in  India  is  furnishing  the 
occasion  of  a  rapid  growth  in  scientific  and  practical 
subjects.  Missions  have  led  the  way  in  industrial 
education  and  in  the  education  of  women  and  the 
outcaste  communities,  as  they  once  did  in  higher  edu- 
cation. 

Work  Among  Educated  Hindus. — ^For  the  last 
fourteen  years  I  have  traveled  through  the  colleges 
of  India  and  Ceylon,  holding  meetings  during  the  day 
for  Christian  students  on  the  deepening  of  spiritual 
life,  the  choice  of  a  life-work,  and  Bible  study,  and 
at  the  same  time  giving  lectures  in  the  evening  to 
Hindu  students.  In  Christian  colleges,  where  they 
have  daily  instruction  in  the  Bible,  the  ground  is 
prepared  and  some  sense  of  sin  and  apprehension  of 
truth  is  found  among  the  students.  We  seek  to  reach 
them  by  Bible  classes,  personal  work,  and  evangelis- 
tic or  devotional  meetings.  One  can  fill  up  his  whole 
time  with  personal  interviews  among  Indian  stu- 
dents, and  no  work  is  more  attractive  or  more 
needed. 


THE    STUDENTS  121 

Evangelistic  Meetings. — Evangelistic  meetings 
conducted  for  Indian  students  are  sometimes  very 
exciting.  At  our  last  meetings  in  Calcutta  we  had 
seven  hundred  men,  mostly  Brahmans  and  high-class 
students,  coming  out  night  after  night  to  the  college 
hall.  During  the  day  we  would  hold  meetings  in 
three  of  the  non-Christian  colleges  as  well  as  in  the 
Christian  institutions,  on  moral  subjects  to  prepare 
the  way.  All  the  missions  in  Calcutta  joined  with  us 
in  prayer  and  cooperation.  The  subjects  announced 
were,  the  five  *'  National  Ideals  **  of  patriotism,  am- 
bition, religion,  character,  and  service.  The  first 
night  we  sought  to  get  a  point  of  contact  in  their 
newly  awakened  national  consciousness  and  burning 
love  of  country.  We  tried  to  show  what  true  patri- 
otism called  for  in  service  for  India ;  but  the  feeling 
of  unrest  and  sedition  and  anti-foreign  hatred  was 
so  great  that  the  first  night  I  dared  not  mention  the 
name  of  Christ,  lest  the  audience  might  leave,  for 
Calcutta  is  the  center  of  the  seditious  movement. 
The  third  night  we  began  on  sin  to  awaken  the  con- 
science and  arouse  a  sense  of  need.  During  the  en- 
tire week  there  was  no  mention  of  the  word  '  *  Chris- 
tianity "  or  '*  Hinduism;  "  there  was  no  defense  of 
a  foreign  religion  or  attack  on  their  own  religion, 
which  would  have  only  thrown  them  on  the  defensive 
at  once.  Our  method  was  to  awaken  a  sense  of  need, 
and  then  present  Christ  as  the  one  able  to  meet  that 
need,  as  Example,  Friend,  and  Savior;  presenting 
him  not  in  "Western  dress  but  as  one  of  themselves 
born  on  their  own  continent.    The  sense  of  sin  is  usu- 


122  INDIA   AWAKENING 

ally  undeveloped  by  Hinduism,  but  they  recognize 
tbe  results  of  sin,  and  they  realize  the  fact  that  many 
of  them  are  failing  in  their  examinations  and  being 
ruined  physically,  mentally,  and  morally  by  the 
dreadful  inroads  of  immorality. 

Awakening  Soul  Hunger. — The  students  sent  me 
written  petitions  to  lecture  in  their  colleges  on  per- 
sonal purity  and  to  tell  them  how  they  could  break 
the  chains  of  evil  habit.  After  speaking  that  night 
half  an  hour  on  sin,  until  there  was  a  deep,  spiritual 
hunger  apparent,  I  came  to  the  cross  of  Christ.  As 
I  described  him  going  up  that  long  and  lonely  hill, 
bearing  his  own  cross,  it  seemed  as  if  the  pierced 
hand  of  Christ  were  laid  on  every  heart.  It  seems 
to  me  that  the  East  is  instinctively  Christian,  when 
they  come  to  know  Christ  as  he  is.  I  spoke  for  three 
hours  that  night  in  the  stifling  heat,  on  the  cross  of 
Christ ;  and  for  three  hours  the  next  night  on  Christ 
as  the  only  Savior.  There  were  thirty  Christians  in 
the  back  room  who  held  on  in  prayer  and  never  en- 
tered the  meetings  at  all,  but  furnished  the  base  of 
power.  After  speaking  on  Christ  as  Savior,  I  asked 
how  many  would  give  him  a  fair  hearing,  promise  to 
read  through  the  four  Gospels  with  open  mind  and 
honest  heart,  and  follow  him  according  to  their  light 
and  conscience.  Over  a  hundred  men  rose  and 
signed  cards  and  were  followed  up  as  potential  in- 
quirers. Some  of  them  were  gathered  into  Bible 
classes  and  all  were  visited  in  their  hostels  or  homes, 
to  give  an  opportunity  for  conversation  bearing  upon 
the  personal  life. 


THE   STUDENTS  123 

V 

Seed-sowing  Among  the  Brahmans. — So  far  as  I 
Know  there  are  no  baptisms  which  have  as  yet  re- 
sulted from  this  series  of  meetings.  This  is  the  day 
of  seed-sowing  among  the  Brahmans  and  of  reaping 
among  the  outcastes.  In  the  United  States  and  Can- 
ada you  are  accustomed  to  immediate  decision  and 
action.  But  we  forget  the  years  of  Christian  train- 
ing and  the  development  of  conscience  which  we 
have  received  in  the  home  country.  Usually  only 
after  long  preparation  and  study  of  the  Bible  is 
the  conscience  developed  among  Hindus.  The  light 
breaks  slowly. 

Hindu  Student's  Mind. — Consider  an  Indian  stu- 
dent's mind  and  see  his  point  of  view.  Remember 
he  is  bound  by  the  fetters  of  caste,  which  are  usu- 
ally far  stronger  than  his  weak  will,  for  to  break 
this  bond  would  mean  the  loss  of  everything  he 
holds  dear, — home,  relatives,  means  of  support,  the 
hope  of  proper  marriage,  and  all  social  relations. 
Pantheism  tends  to  break  down  all  distinctions  both 
doctrinal  and  moral  in  his  mind.  The  Hindu  mind  is 
hospitable  and  sympathetic  rather  than  critical,  and 
constantly  holds  contradictory  views.  The  average 
Hindu  student  is  a  pantheistic  monotheist,  holding  a 
belief  in  the  new,  personal  God,  whether  the  Chris- 
tian conception  or  that  of  Krishna,  against  a  Yedan- 
tic  or  impersonal  background.  The  world  to  him 
is  half  real,  according  to  the  teaching  of  his  modern 
science,  and  half  an  illusion.  He  is  postponing  the 
question  of  his  salvation  until  after  he  passes  his 
last  examination,  but  he  will  attend  Christian  lee- 


124  INDIA   AWAKENING 

tures  and  meetings  in  search  of  something  to  satisfy 
him. 

Speculative,  Patriotic. — In  his  subjective  atti- 
tude, he  is  strikingly  tolerant  in  freedom  of  thought 
to  new  truth  and  to  other  religions,  but  intolerant  in 
not  allowing  freedom  of  action  to  change  one's  re- 
ligion. Compared  to  a  Western  student  he  is  specu- 
lative rather  than  practical  and  keenly  interested  in 
questions  of  religion  and  philosophy.  He  is  more  in- 
terested in  discussing  the  origin  of  evil,  than  in  the 
practical  question  of  how  to  escape  from  it.  His 
mind  is  intellectual,  rather  than  volitional,  and 
there  is  a  great  gulf  fixed  between  conviction  and 
action,  as  the  result  of  the  long  divorce  of  religion 
and  morality  in  Hinduism.  Just  now  he  is  in- 
tensely patriotic  and  boastful  of  his  own  religion. 

Attitude  toward  Christ. — His  attitude  toward 
Christ  is  almost  always  one  of  sympathy  and  deep 
veneration.  He  is  opposed  to  Christianity  as  the  re- 
ligion of  his  foreign  rulers,  but  not  to  Christ  whom 
he  instinctively  feels  to  be  his  own.  The  Sermon  on 
the  Mount  nearly  always  appeals  to  him,  and  the 
character  of  Christ  is  the  highest  he  knows.  It  is 
only  when  he  perceives  where  the  pathway  of  dis- 
cipleship  leads,  and  realizes  the  awful  cost  of  becom- 
ing a  Christian,  that  he  begins  to  draw  back.  When 
he  sees  that  it  will  set  him  at  variance  with  his  own 
religion,  his  own  gods  and  their  practises,  his  family 
and  friends,  and  that  it  caUs  for  heroic  individual 
action,  which  has  so  long  been  stifled  by  Hinduism, 
he  seeks  some  compromise.     He  now  tries  to  serve 


THE    STUDENTS  125 

two  masters  in  secret  discipleship,  or  else  becomes 
openly  hostile  to  the  exclusive  demands  of  Christ. 
If  a  student  finally  decides  to  become  a  Christian, 
there  are  no  limits  to  which  persecution  may  be  car- 
ried against  him.  His  mother  weeps  and  perhaps 
threatens  to  commit  suicide;  his  relatives  threaten 
and  his  father  coerces  him.  The  whole  community 
will  conspire  perhaps  to  take  him  away  by  force  or 
swear  in  court  that  he  is  a  minor,  producing  a  false 
*'  horoscope  "  to  prove  that  he  is  under  age  and  can- 
not be  baptized.  Some  men  have  disappeared,  others 
have  been  drugged,  a  few  forced  into  immorality  to 
sear  their  consciences — anything  will  be  done  to 
prevent  the  one  irretrievable  disgrace  of  a  man  be- 
coming a  Christian.  I  could  give  many  instances  if 
space  permitted. 

Indifference,  Hostility,  Acceptance. — There  are 
three  attitudes  of  mind  among  Indian  students. 
Many  are  indifferent;  a  few  are  hostile;  and  a  few 
are  earnest  seekers  after  truth.  Try  and  picture  to 
yourself  the  inevitable  conflict  in  the  heart  of  one 
of  the  latter  class,  convinced  of  the  claims  of  Christ 
and  the  superiority  of  Christianity  but  with  all  of 
the  heredity  of  Hinduism  behind  him ;  helped  in  the 
college  but  hindered  in  his  home,  trying  to  lead  a 
double  life  and  torn  with  the  struggle. 

Student  Questions. — I  remember  the  first  college 
I  visited  in  India.  After  the  lecture  the  students 
gathered  around  with  burning  interest  and  ques- 
tions flew  from  every  quarter.  If  you  will  try  to  an- 
swer every  question  you  will  see  how  far  they  reach. 


126  INDIA   AWAKENING 

**  How  could  a  divine  Christ  pray  for  the  removal 
of  the  cup?  ''  **  Why  cannot  a  merciful  God  for- 
give vrithout  an  atonement?  "  ''  If  we  believe  in  God 
and  serve  him,  why  do  we  need  Christ?  '^  '*  How 
could  a  just  God  let  punishment  come  upon  Christ 
who  was  innocent,  instead  of  upon  sinners  who  were 
guilty?  "  ''  What  will  happen  to  those  who  never 
heard  of  Christ?  "  "Is  not  Hinduism  sufficient  to 
save  us?  '*  **  Have  you  proof  that  Jesus  was  di- 
vine, and  can  you  show  that  our  incarnations  were 
not  ?  '-  ' '  If  I  worship  the  one  true  God,  why  should 
I  not  place  before  me  some  idol  to  help  me  concen- 
trate my  thoughts  and  call  God  to  mind,  though  I 
do  not  worship  the  idol  itself?  " 

Meeting  the  Problems. — ^Although  unprepared,  as 
fast  as  the  questions  came  I  was  helped  with  the  an- 
swers. For  instance,  to  the  last  question  on  idola- 
try I  replied,  *'  My  own  father  is  no  longer  living  on 
earth,  but  when  I  wish  to  recall  his  loving  charac- 
ter I  do  not  place  before  me  some  hideous  monster 
or  horrible  contortion  or  some  reptile.  That  would 
be  an  insult  to  his  memory,  as  every  idol  is  to  God. 
It  would  degrade  my  love  for  him,  as  idolatry  has 
degraded  every  people  that  has  practised  it.  Noth- 
ing but  a  perfect  photograph  is  fit  to  represent  my 
father  to  me.  God  has  given  us  his  photograph 
in  Christ,  who  is  the  very  image  of  his  person,  and 
we  need  only  his  portrait  preserved  in  the  Gospels, 
to  recall  our  Father  in  heaven.  Christianity  needs 
no  idol."  Among  the  questions  most  frequently 
asked  by  students  in  India  are  some  of  the  follow- 


THE    STUDENTS  1S7 

ing :  *^  How  do  you  account  for  the  origin  of  evil 
and  of  sin?  If  God  made  the  world  right  in  the  be- 
ginning, what  is  the  cause  of  suffering  and  how  can 
you  account  for  inequalities  of  life  without  the  doc- 
trine of  karma?  What  is  the  necessity  of  a  media- 
tor? Why  cannot  Krishna  save  us?  Why  is  bap- 
tism necessary,  if  religion  is  inward  and  spiritual?  " 
The  last  question  is  asked  usually  by  men  who  are 
convinced  of  the  superiority  of  Christianity,  but, 
tremble  at  the  thought  of  the  awful  cost  of  baptism. 
For  Hindus  reckon  this  to  be  the  dividing  line  be- 
tween the  two  religions.  Many  Hindus  do  not  ob- 
ject to  persons  being  secret  believers,  or  even  open 
followers  of  Christ,  if  only  they  will  not  sever  them- 
selves from  the  caste  system  by  the  dividing  line  of 
baptism.  How  would  you  answer  each  of  these 
questions  ? 

The  Best  Apologetic. — ^Love  is  the  key  that  un- 
locks every  heart,  and  I  have  never  seen  a  class  of 
students  so  lovable  and  responsive  and  so  deeply 
needy  as  the  students  of  India.  If  you  begin  by  at- 
tacking Hinduism,  you  may  win  your  argument,  but 
you  lose  the  men  you  are  seeking  to  reach.  We  must 
appeal  to  the  conscience  and  to  the  will,  rather  than 
to  the  intellect.  I  remember  in  one  mission  col- 
lege in  Ceylon  an  average  of  one  man  a  day  had  ac- 
cepted Christ,  and  later  some  of  them  were  baptized. 
But  when  the  students  challenged  me  to  speak  about 
their  own  religion,  I  fell  into  the  snare  and  ex- 
posed the  fallacies  of  Hinduism.  The  result  was 
that  not  another  man  was  won  in  that  college  at  the 


128  INDIA   AWAKENING 

time  and  the  whole  community  was  thrown  on  the 
defensive.  In  the  next  college  I  resolved  to  know 
nothing  but  Christ  and  him  crucified.  I  took  as  a 
text,  ''  Every  one  that  committeth  sin  is  the  bond- 
servant of  sin/'  and  after  speaking  till  there  was 
conviction,  I  took  the  rest  of  the  statement,  "  If 
therefore  the  Son  shall  make  you  free,  ye  shall  be 
free  indeed.*'  At  the  invitation,  a  number  of  men 
rose  to  confess  their  sins  and  acknowledge  their 
need  of  a  Savior. 

Christ  Himself. — Our  most  powerful  apologetic  is 
Christ  himself;  Jesus  the  winsome  and  attractive 
personality,  to  whom  the  heart  of  the  East  instinc- 
tively turns ;  Christ  the  revelation  of  God,  the  Satis- 
fier  of  the  human  heart,  the  great  Oriental  and  uni- 
versal Teacher,  whose  precepts  have  a  self-evidenc- 
ing power;  Christ  the  divine  Savior,  able  to  save  to 
the  uttermost.  The  appeal  to  experience,  and  the 
truth  that  "  if  any  man  willeth  to  do,  he  shall 
know,"  powerfully  affects  Oriental  students.  Which 
side  of  Christ  has  most  appealed  to  you,  and  what 
aspect  do  you  think  would  be  most  readily  apprecia- 
ted and  most  deeply  needed  by  the  Oriental  mind? 

A  Typical  College  Meeting. — Let  us  visit  one  of 
the  colleges  together  and  see  the  work  for  ourselves. 
"We  are  just  beginning  a  week's  meetings  among  the 
students  in  the  college  of  the  Madura  mission  at 
Pasumalai.  Here  are  some  five  hundred  Christian 
boys,  who  will  supply  all  the  future  workers  and  lay 
leaders  of  a  great  district.  Here  also  are  over  a 
hundred  Hindu  boys,  with  a  few  Mohammedans  in 


THE    STUDENTS  129 

the  high  school.  We  begin  morning  and  evening 
meetings  and  have  interviews  with  the  boys  during 
the  day.  Conviction  steadily  deepens  during  the 
week  and  at  the  end  of  the  time  several  nominal 
Christian  boys,  a  few  Hindus,  and  one  Mohammedan 
boy  confessed  Christ. 

Gateway  to  a  Caste. — There  is  one  boy,  S , 

a  member  of  the  wealthy,  money-lending  or  chetty 
caste,  who  came  to  me  two  years  ago  asking  for  bap- 
tism. I  notified  his  father,  but  on  the  boy*s  return 
home  the  father  beat  him  till  his  son  fell  down  in 
a  fit  and  remained  unconscious  for  some  hours. 
The  father,  fearing  he  had  killed  his  son,  wept  and 
pleaded  with  the  boy  to  speak  to  him  once  more. 
At  last  he  regained  consciousness  and  after  a  tim;e 
returned  to  the  college.  He  is  now  studying  again 
and  maintaining  his  Christian  life.  Some  day  he 
may  furnish  the  entering  wedge  into  his  caste  which 
has  been  hitherto  unreached,  and  the  education  of 
such  a  boy  may  mean  much  for  the  kingdom. 

A  High-Caste  Convert. — I  recall  the  life  of  my 
dear  friend  and  fellow  worker,  Francis  Kingsbury. 
'  His  father  was  a  great  scholar  and  was  called  "  the 
Max  Miiller  of  South  India."  He  was  the  leading 
opponent  and  enemy  of  Christianity.  As  a  boy, 
Francis  was  deeply  religious  and  was  trained  in  his 
sacred  books  and  in  the  Hindu  ceremonial.  Imbib- 
ing his  father's  prejudice,  he  so  hated  Christ  and 
Christianity  that  he  had  drawn  in  his  house  a  picture 
of  Christ  on  the  cross,  in  effigy,  that  he  might  kick 
it  every  day  of  his  life,  and  thus  relieve  his  feelings 


130  INDIA   AWAKENING 

of  hatred.  This  he  did  for  some  months.  He  wished 
to  have  an  education,  and  the  best  education  was  to  he 
had  in  the  Madras  Christian  College.  As  he  read  the 
story  of  Joseph,  he  was  convicted  of  his  own  immo- 
rality. He  read  the  story  of  Jesus,  and  his  heart  was 
melted.  While  in  the  Madras  Christian  College  his 
father  feared  that  he  might  become  a  Christian,  so 
he  sent  him  to  the  Presidency  college.  But  gradually 
through  reading  the  Bible  his  faith  in  Hinduism  was 
undermined.  At  the  suggestion  of  his  cousin  who 
had  becfDme  a  Christian,  he  attended  an  evangelistic 
meeting.  After  an  address  on  faith,  and  singing, 
' '  Just  as  I  am  without  one  plea, '-  the  speaker  asked 
those  who  would  accept  Christ  to  rise  up.  He  rose 
and  went  forward  to  the  platform,  knelt  down,  and 
called  upon  Jesus  to  save  him.  In  secret  he  tried 
to  follow  Christ.  Finally  his  father's  suspicions 
were  aroused  and  one  day  he  called  him  and  said, 
*'  To-morrow  on  the  anniversary  of  your  mother's 
death,  you  shall  perform  the  Sraddha.^^  The  young 
man  said  it  was  against  his  conscience  and  that  he 
could  not  do  it. 

Willing  to  be  Disinherited. — ^When  the  father 
threatened  to  disinherit  him,  he  went  to  his  room 
to  fight  out  the  battle  in  prayer  and  count  the  cost. 
That  night  he  was  compelled  to  leave  his  father's 
house.  As  he  passed  his  door  he  sent  up  a  prayer  for 
his  father,  and  then  went  out  to  be  disinherited  for- 
ever. 

Loss  and  Gain. — ' '  If  I  had  pleased  my  father  and 
carried  out  his  wishes,  he  would  probably  have  sent 


REV.     FRANCIS    KIXGSBURY 


THE    STUDENTS  131 

me  to  England,  where  I  would  have  received  an 
education  to  enable  me  to  enter  any  profession.  By 
becoming  a  Christian  I  lost  my  father 's  love,  lost  my 
inheritance,  and  lost  the  opportunity  of  becoming  a 
civil  servant  or  a  barrister-at-law.  I  knew  all  this 
and  deliberately  chose  to  be  a  Christian.  Is  there 
anything  in  Christ  Jesus  to  compensate  for  these 
losses?  In  Jesus  of  Nazareth  I  have  found  pardon 
and  peace.  These  are  not  idle  words.  I  know  that 
my  sins,  which  are  many  and  dreadful,  are  all  blot- 
ted out  from  the  memory  of  the  holy  God  by  the 
blood  of  his  Son.  I  have  been  cleansed.  God's 
power  is  granted  unto  me  to  overcome  many  a 
temptation  that  besets  me  yet.  In  Jesus  I  have  the 
ideal  I  need  for  my  life.  I  am  constrained  by  the 
love  of  Christ  to  live,  not  for  my  petty  self,  but  for 
my  country — my  India — not  simply  because  I  was 
born  in  it,  but  because  Christ  Jesus  died  for  its 
people.  To  live  for  Christ  and  for  India  is  now 
my  one  ambition  in  life."  ^ 

A  Life  Investment. — As  a  Christian  worker,  he  has 
been  traveling  with  me  through  the  colleges  and 
conducting  meetings  for  educated  Hindus.  In  Mad- 
ras, with  a  thousand  high-caste  Hindus  coming  out 
every  night  to  listen  to  the  gospel,  he  was  the  only 
Indian  who  could  hold  that  great,  turbulent  audi- 
ence. To-day  he  is  the  pastor  of  a  college  church, 
having  under  his  influence  five  hundred  Christian 
boys,  as  well  as  many  non-Christians,  and  he  is  a 
teacher  in  the  theological  seminary.    The  other  day 

1  Francis  Kingsbury,  ' '  How  I  Became  a  Christian, ' '  25,  26. 


132  INDIA   AWAKENING 

I  met  a  man  in  America  who  had  supported  this  boy 
as  a  student  and  whose  name  Francis  now  bears. 
That  investment  in  a  human  life  will  bear  fruit  for 
eternity.  It  is  difficult  to  help  people  without  pau- 
perizing them,  but  I  know  of  no  better  investment 
than  to  help  boys  through  college  where  about 
twenty  or  thirty  dollars  a  year  will  pay  their  fees 
and  supplement  what  they  are  able  to  do  for  them- 
selves by  their  own  work.  It  is  in  such  opportuni- 
ties as  this  that  you  at  home  may  share  our  burden 
on  the  foreign  field. 

A  Severe  Test. — In  a  college  in  South  India  I  had 
been  holding  meetings  for  two  days.  On  the  last 
evening  I  saw  evidence  of  conviction  of  sin  and  deep 
soul-thirst  in  the  face  of  a  Hindu  student.  He  had 
been  pierced  by  the  arrow  of  conviction.  After  the 
meeting  I  made  my  way  back  to  him,  and  asked  him 
to  come  outside.  We  sat  down  on  the  old  college 
wall  in  the  moonlight  under  a  tree.  I  did  not  know 
that  the  worst  men  had  banded  themselves  together 
in  the  college  under  the  name  of  the  "  Devil's  So- 
ciety," of  which  this  man  was  the  leader.  Neither 
did  I  know  that  he  had  been  laughing  and  scoffing 
at  what  I  had  said  in  the  previous  meetings.  Nor 
did  I  know  that  his  grandfather  had  been  a  great 
persecutor  of  Christianity  in  that  region,  beating  the 
Christians  and  burning  their  houses.  At  one  time 
he  had  led  a  mob  to  the  mission  compound  and  I 
was  told  that  the  present  principal  of  the  college, 
when  a  child,  was  carried  in  his  mother's  arms  as 
she  fled  from  before  the  mob  which  this  boy's  grand- 


THE   STUDENTS  133 

father  was  leading.  Not  knowing  any  of  this,  I  said 
to  him,  *  *  My  boy,  I  want  to  ask  you  some  questions. 
Are  you  saved?  Do  you  know  God  as  your  Heav- 
enly Father?  Have  you  power  over  sin?  Do  you 
know  where  you  are  going  in  the  next  life?  Are 
you  to  be  born  and  reborn  as  a  man  or  an  animal 
in  countless  existences  or  have  you  any  assurance 
with  regard  to  the  future ?'*  ^*No,"  he  said,  ^*our 
religion  does  not  teach  us  about  these  tilings." 
*'Well,"  I  said,  *'my  boy,  I  have  come  half  way 
round  the  world  to  tell  you  a  piece  of  good  news. 
You  can  be  saved  to-night.  Christ  stands  at  the 
door  of  your  heart  and  knocks.  You  can  accept  him 
here  and  now;  but  if  he  comes  into  your  heart  he 
must  come  as  Master.  It  will  mean  that  to-morrow 
you  will  have  to  confess  him  before  the  other  stu- 
dents. This  week  you  will  have  to  tell  your  father 
and  relatives,  and  they  will  doubtless  put  you  out 
of  your  home  and  persecute  you.  It  will  mean  that 
you  will  have  to  be  baptized,  to  lose  caste,  prob- 
ably to  lose  your  fortune,  and  certainly  to  suffer  for 
Christ.  Are  you  ready  to  receive  him  as  Savior  and 
Master  if  he  asks  all  this  ?  ' ' 

Accepting  Christ  and  Persecution. — I  shall  never 
forget  his  reply.  He  said.  "  I  have  studied  the 
Bible  in  this  Christian  college  until  I  believed  that 
there  was  only  one  God,  that  idolatry  was  wrong, 
that  Hinduism  was  defective,  and  that  Christ  was 
the  only  Savior.  But  until  to-day  I  had  no  sense  of 
my  own  sin  nor  of  my  need  of  Christ.  I  see  it  now, 
and  I  will  come  to  him.     As  for  persecution,  let 


134  INDIA   AWAKENING 

them  persecute.    I  would  rather  like  it."    Like  Saul 
of  Tarsus  he  came  of  a  persecuting  race. 

A  Noble  Convert. — As  we  knelt  there  on  the 
ground,  in  the  moonlight,  that  young  man  in  a  sim- 
ple prayer  gave  his  heart  to  Christ.  A  great  foot- 
ball player,  the  tennis  champion,  and  the  head  of  the 
**  Devil's  Society,''  he  was  one  moment  a  Hindu 
deep  in  sin,  the  next  a  son  of  God  with  his  name  writ- 
ten in  heaven.  It  seemed  to  me  that  I  could  almost 
catch  the  echo  of  the  angels'  song  rejoicing  over  on© 
more  sinner  that  had  come  home  to  God.  As  he  rose, 
I  said  *^  Good-by,"  not  knowing  what  would  befall 
him.  He  went  in  and  began  to  witness  to  his  fel- 
low students.  They  broke  up  that  Devil's  Society 
and  it  has  not  existed  since  in  that  college.  Up 
every  morning,  with  a  new  joy  over  his  open  Bible, 
preaching  every  week  upon  the  streets  to  the  non- 
Christian  people,  he  was  a  living  apologetic  for 
Christ  to  the  students  of  that  college.  And  after 
more  than  eight  years  he  is  still  standing  as  a  wit- 
ness for  Christ.  The  last  man  I  saw,  as  I  left  India, 
to  come  away  to  America  on  furlough,  was  this  man 
standing  at  the  end  of  the  dock  waving  good-by 
from  the  shore. 

Call  of  the  Student  Field. — Are  not  such  men 
vv^orth  winning  for  Christ?  On  every  hand  they  are 
accessible.  Audiences  wiU  gather  not  only  in  the 
colleges  and  large  cities,  but  even  in  towns  far  from 
a  railway,  to  listen  to  a  lecture  delivered  in  English 
by  one  who  has  power  to  reach  students.  They  have 
always   been  courteous,  tolerant,  open-minded,  in- 


THE   STUDENTS  135 

telligent,  responsive,  and  sympathetic.  We  need 
men  to-day  to  supplement  the  preparatory  work  done 
in  the  classroom,  and  in  the  Bible  teaching  of  the 
Christian  colleges,  who  will  reach  these  students  by 
public  meetings,  Bible  classes,  and  personal  inter- 
views. And  yet  we  cannot  get  sufficient  student 
workers  to  man  even  the  few  score  of  important 
posts,  in  order  to  win  the  students  of  this  vast  em- 
pire for  Christ.  Think  of  it!  A  small,  compact 
body  of  25,000  students,  open  and  accessible  in  our 
own  tongue,  who  might  be  won  for  Christ,  and  who 
in  turn  will  be  the  leaders  of  thought  of  a  vast  em- 
pire, embracing  one  fifth  of  the  human  race.  Cannot 
some  one  who  reads  these  lines  come  out  to  this 
great  work?  Men  and  women  are  needed  as  teach- 
ers in  Christian  colleges,  or  to  be  placed  in  charge 
of  Christian  hostels  connected  with  government  or 
other  institutions.  Who  will  come  over  and  help 
us  to  win  the   students  of  India  for   Christ? 

Help  of  the  Many. — A  few  only  can  come,  but  all 
can  help  in  this  great  work.  We  need  the  backing 
of  prayer  to  break  down  the  walls  of  prejudice  and 
undermine  the  fortress  of  caste.  "  More  things  are 
wrought  by  prayer  than  this  world  dreams  of.'' 
Even  as  you  read  these  lines  hundreds  of  Hindu  stu- 
dents are  leading  a  double  life,  striving  in  their  col- 
leges to  follow  their  conscience  and  the  Christian 
ideals,  yet  in  their  homes  held  in  the  grip  of  tyran- 
nical custom  and  the  practise  of  the  grossest  super- 
stitions. Their  condition  is  truly  pitiable.  Like 
Nicodemus  they  often  come  by  night  to  seek  our 


136  INDIA   AWAKENING 

help.  As  Mozumdar  said,  ''  We  go  one  way,  our 
relatives  another,  and  our  women  yet  another.  Our 
Indian  young  men  discuss  their  projects  of  reform 
in  debating  clubs ;  but  as  soon  as  they  get  home  they 
carefully  put  their  progressive  views  in  their  pock- 
ets, and  bend  their  necks  beneath  the  yoke  of  cus- 
tom as  their  ancestors  before  them.  They  belong  to 
the  nineteenth  century,  but  their  homes  to  the  first 
century.  * ' 

Strengthen  the  Weak. — An  Indian  newspaper 
states:  *'  The  educated  native  is  nowhere  so  miser- 
able and  crestfallen  as  in  his  own  home.  A  Demos- 
thenes at  debating  societies,  a  Luther  in  his  public 
protestations  against  prevailing  corruptions,  he  is 
but  a  timid,  crouching  Hindu  in  his  home,  yielding 
unquestioning  submission  to  the  requisitions  of  a 
superstitious  family.'-^  We  who  are  born  in  an 
atmosphere  of  freedom  of  individual  action,  can 
hardly  realize  the  crushing  chains  of  caste  and  Hin- 
duism on  a  student.  Do  you  fully  measure  his  prob- 
lem? 

Prayer  and  Gifts. — ^Prayer  is  the  power  that  can 
set  these  men  free,  and  you  can  wield  that  power. 
To  invest  in  the  education  of  some  poor  student  dis- 
inherited by  his  Hindu  parents  or  one  unable  to 
struggle  through  his  college  course  from  a  Christian 
home  of  poverty,  offers  an  opportunity  almost  un- 
paralleled in  spiritual  possibilities.  Will  you  not 
invest  in  some  life  out  there  in  the  darkness,  who 
may  become  a  center  of  light  and  a  blessing  to 
many? 


WOMANHOOD 


What  loneliness  must  fill  a  child-wife's  heart,  when  sent  away 
from  play  with  happy  brothers  and  sisters,  away  from  a  loving 
mother's  care  and  sympathy,  as  she  takes  up  her  life  in  her  new 
home  with  the  companionship  of  a  grave  husband  of  perhaps  thirty- 
five  or  forty  in  a  household  of  elderly  women,  and  perhaps  with 
stepchildren  older  than  herself !  We  have  tried  to  picture  our 
own  child  in  such  a  position,  and  instinctively  have  covered  our  eyes 
with  our  hands  to  shut  out  the  awful  scene ;  and  have  said  :  "Im- 
possible!"    . 

A  high-spirited,  sensitive  girl  was  married  at  eight  and  widowed 
at  nine.  As  she  began  to  comprehend  her  situation,  she  began  to 
suffer.  She  was  in  her  own  father's  house,  and  treated  kindly,  but 
her  father  was  an  orthodox  priest  and  she  was  not  allowed  to 
deviate  from  a  widow's  lot.  She  felt  she  was  cursed  of  God,  and  that 
was  to  her  sensitive  spirit  the  hardest  of  all.  What  had  she  done? 
From  the  day  her  head  was  shaven,  she  never  put  foot  outside  the 
front  door,  and  never  appeared  before  a  stranger.  Her  heart  and 
spirit  were  broken,  and  she  is  now  fast  sinking  in  cousumption. 
A  few  more  months  will  complete  the  sad  story  ;  and  when  she  is 
laid  in  the  grave  her  coarse  widow's  garb  will  be  her  only  burial 
robe.     .     .     . 

The  nautch-girl  often  begins  her  career  of  training  under  teachers 
as  early  as  five  years  of  age.  She  is  taught  to  read,  dance,  and 
sing,  and  instructed  in  every  seductive  art.  Her  songs  are  usually 
amorous  ;  and  while  she  is  yet  a  mere  girl,  before  she  can  realize 
fully  the  moral  bearings  of  her  choice  of  life,  she  makes  her 
debut  as  a  nautch-girl  in  the  community  by  the  observation  of  a 
shocking  custom  which  is  in  itself  enough  to  condemn  the  whole 
system. 

— Fuller 


CHAPTER   VI 

WOMANHOOD 

"The  condition  of  its  women  is  the  truest  test  of  the  people's 
civilization.    Her  status  is  her  country  'e  barometer. ' ' 

Noble  Qualities. — ^It  is  our  contention  in  this  chap- 
ter that  the  women  of  India  are  beautiful  and  attrac- 
tive, and  have  large  possibilities  for  the  future,  but 
that  ''  the  keys  to  the  wrongs  of  Indian  women  are 
Mohammedanism  and  Hinduism."  No  women  are 
by  nature  more  modest,  virtuous,  and  pure.  They 
are  devoted  wives  and  fond  mothers,  with  passion- 
ate affection  for  their  children,  though  untaught  in 
the  discipline  of  the  home  and  in  the  rearing  of 
children.  They  are  unselfish  in  tireless  service  for 
their  husbands  and  relatives.  Hindu  literature  is 
full  of  pictures  of  noble  women  like  Sita,  the  beau- 
tiful wife  of  Rama,  joyfully  sharing  her  husband's 
banishment  and  suffering,  true  to  him  under  terrible 
pressure  and  temptation,  passing  through  the  fire  to 
prove  her  chastity,  and  loyal  to  her  husband  till 
death. 

Former  Honors  and  Recent  Influence.— Before 
the  later  restraints  of  Hinduism  and  Mohamme- 
danism, women  enjoyed  a  position  of  honor  and  in- 
fluence in  ancient  India.    In  no  country  have  women 

139 


140  INDIA   AWAKENING 

wielded  a  larger  influence  on  the  life  of  a  nation 
both  for  good  and  evil.  Deeply  religious  and  de- 
voted, the  women  are  the  conservators  of  religion. 
They  form  the  chief  stay  of  Hinduism  at  the  present 
time.  With  no  other  nation  in  the  world  has  the 
worship  of  the  female  been  made  so  prominent.  It 
is  significant  that  the  Indian  patriot  thinks  of  India 
only  as  his  *'  motherland/'  and  that  the  mind  of 
the  East  thinks  naturally  of  the  ''  motherhood  of 
God.'' 

Degraded  by  Hinduism. — In  speaking  of  the 
wrongs  of  Indian  womanhood,  we  do  not  wish  to 
give  the  impression  that  all  are  unhappy  or  con- 
scious of  their  need.  If  you  could  see  the  bright- 
eyed,  merry  little  girls,  dancing  and  singing,  or  mak- 
ing mud  pies  in  the  sun,  laughing  at  their  games 
and  affectionate  to  their  parents,  you  could  not  resist 
being  attracted  by  them.  The  women  of  India,  too, 
are  patient  sufferers  and  usually  accept  their  fate 
without  a  murmur.  Yet  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  the 
women  are  as  good  and  virtuous  as  they  are,  no 
great  religion  has  degraded  woman  more  than  Hin- 
duism. Indeed,  of  the  400,000,000  women  of  Asia 
not  one  of  them  has,  or  can  have,  her  rights  apart 
from  the  gospel  of  Christ.  Buddha  rejoiced  that 
he  had  escaped  the  three  curses  of  being  born  in 
hell,  or  as  vermin,  or  as  woman ;  and  his  conception 
has  left  a  blight  on  the  women  of  Buddhism.  The 
condition  of  women  in  Moslem  lands  has  ever  been 
the  festering  sore  of  Mohammedanism.  Its  polyg- 
amy, divorce,  and  concubinage  have  been  its  curse. 


WOMANHOOD  141 

'*  The  very  heaven  of  the  Koran  is  conditioned  upon 
the  eternal  degradation  of  womanhood."  But  as 
we  shall  see  in  this  chapter,  it  is  Hinduism  which 
has  placed  upon  woman  the  heaviest  burden  of  all, 
and  left  her  lowest  in  the  social  scale. 

Women's  Status. — The  sacred  code  of  Manu  has 
done  more  than  anything  else  to  determine  the  po- 
sition of  woman  and  to  fix  her  destiny.  The  follow- 
ing verses  will  show  her  position: 

*  *  It  is  the  nature  of  women  to  seduce  men  in  this 
world ;  for  that  reason  the  wise  are  never  unguarded 
in  the  company  of  females.  One  should  not  sit  in  a 
lonely  place  with  one's  mother,  sister,  or  daughter; 
for  the  senses  are  powerful  and  master  even  a 
learned  man."  ^ 

**  Though  destitute  of  virtue,  or  seeking  pleasure 
elsewhere,  or  devoid  of  good  qualities,  yet  a  hus- 
band must  be  constantly  worshiped  as  a  god  by  a 
faithful  wife.  Day  and  night  women  must  be  kept 
in  dependence  by  the  males  of  their  families."^ 

**  For  women  no  sacramental  rite  is  performed 
with  sacred  texts,  thus  the  law  is  settled;  women 
who  are  destitute  of  strength  and  of  the  knowledge 
of  Vedic  texts,  are  as  impure  as  falsehood  itself, 
that  is  a  fixed  rule."' 

*'  Stealing  grain,  base  metals,  or  cattle,  .  .  . 
slaying  women,  Sudras,  .  .  .  and  atheism,  are  all 
minor  offences."* 

*'  "When  creating  them  Manu  allotted  to  women  a 

^  Manu,  II.    213,  215.  s  Ibid.,  IX.    18. 

'Ibid.,    V,     154;     IX.     2.         *  Ibid.,  XI.    67. 


142  INDIA   AWAKENING 

love  ...  of  ornament,  impure  desires,  wrath,  dis- 
honesty, malice,  and  bad  conduct.  Through  .  .  . 
their  mutable  temper,  through  their  natural  heart- 
lessness,  they  become  disloyal  toward  their  hus- 
bands, however  carefully  they  may  be  guarded  in 
this  world.  "^ 

Ignorance  of  Women. — Owing  to  the  status  as- 
signed to  her  by  the  sacred  books,  women  have 
never  been  allowed  education  by  the  Hindus.  When 
the  first  lady  missionary  proposed  to  a  Brahman  that 
she  should  teach  his  wife  to  read,  he  replied,. 
* '  Women  have  no  brains  to  learn.  You  can  try  and 
teach  my  wife,  and  if  you  succeed  I  will  bring 
around  my  cow,  and  you  can  try  and  teach  her.'* 
Only  seven  women  out  of  every  thousand  in  India 
can  read  and  write.  Christianity  leads  all  the  re- 
ligions of  India  in  female  education.  Not  only  did 
Christians  establish  the  first  schools  for  girls  and 
make  public  sentiment  in  the  matter,  but  they  have 
ever  led  the  way  in  their  own  community.  Of  160 
girls  receiving  college  education  to-day  in  India,  48 
are  Europeans  or  Eurasians,  43  Indian  Christians, 
and  33  Parsees.  One  third  of  all  the  girls  receiving 
high  school  education  are  Indian  Christians. 

Problems  of  Their  Education. — The  problems  con- 
nected with  the  education  of  girls  in  India  are  ex- 
tremely difficult.  The  unwillingness  of  parents  to 
have  their  daughters  educated  is  reflected  in  the 
figures  just  mentioned.  While  this  prejudice  is  yield- 
ing in  some  quarters,  on  the  land  as  a  whole  it  still 
*  Mann,  IX,  15,  17. 


WOMANHOOD  143 

sits  strong.  Even  when  girls  enter  school  they  re- 
main a  very  short  time.  In  one  province  which  is 
most  advanced  in  education  for  girls,  according  to 
the  last  Quinquennial  Review  of  Education  in  India, 
99  per  cent,  of  girls  enrolled  are  in  primary  schools. 
The  early  age  of  marriage  with  Hindus,  usually  not 
later  than  eleven  or  twelve,  prevents  a  girl  from 
going  far.  Under  such  circumstances  it  would  seem 
all  the  more  desirable  to  make  schools  attractive  and 
efficient.  But  on  the  one  hand  there  is  a  great  diffi- 
culty in  obtaining  teachers.  Indian  society  provides 
no  place  for  a  professional  life  for  women.  Even 
were  the  facilities  for  training  tenfold  what  they 
are,  there  would  be  no  such  flocking  of  young  women 
into  the  profession  as  we  find  in  this  country.  More- 
over, a  single  woman  is  looked  upon  with  suspicion, 
and  the  best  families  would  hardly  be  persuaded  to 
entrust  their  daughters  to  her  care.  Finally,  the 
curriculum  has  not  yet  been  worked  out  to  meet  the 
real  needs  of  life.  The  great  problem  of  education 
all  over  the  world,  how  to  prepare  scholars  to  elevate 
their  future  surroundings  without  being  trained  out 
of  sympathy  with  them,  is  especially  urgent  in  a 
land  where  the  life  of  women  is  so  secluded  and 
where  the  masses  live  in  villages.  Truly  women  mis- 
sionaries are  needed  for  India  who  have  not  only 
consecration,  but  a  grasp  of  the  principles  of  educa- 
tion that  shall  fit  them  to  make  intelligent  contribu- 
tions to  the  solution  of  these  problems.^ 

1  In  this  connection,  reference  may  be  made  to  articles  on 
the  education  of  women  in  India  in  The  East  and  the  West,  for 
October,  1910,  by  Miss  J.  L.  Latham,  and  in  the  same  maga- 
"iriA  for  January.  1911.  by  M.  P.  Western. 


144  INDIA   AWAKENING 

Kipling's  Verdict. — Rudyard  Kipling  says:  ''  The 
matter  with  this  country  is  not  in  the  least  politi- 
cal, but  an  all-round  entanglement  of  physical,  so- 
cial, and  moral  evils  and  corruptions,  all  more  or 
less  due  to  the  unnatural  treatment  of  women.  You 
cannot  gather  figs  from  thistles,  and  so  long  as 
the  system  of  infant  marriage,  the  prohibition  of 
the  remarriage  of  widows,  the  lifelong  imprison- 
ment of  wives  in  a  worse  than  penal  confinement, 
and  the  withholding  from  them  of  any  kind  of  ed- 
ucation as  rational  beings  continues,  the  country 
cannot  advance  a  step.  The  foundations  of  life 
are  rotten,  utterly  rotten,  and  beastly  rotten.  The 
men  talk  of  their  rights  and  privileges.  I  have 
seen  the  women  that  bare  these  men.  May  God 
forgive  the  men.'* 

Seclusion. — Forty  millions  of  the  women  of  India 
are  confined  in  the  zenanas,  *'  behind  the  purdah. '* 
Imprisoned  thus  within  their  own  homes,  shut  off 
from  God's  glad  world,  their  lives  are  pitiably  nar- 
row and  barren.  As  one  Hindu  lady  said,  ''  The 
life  of  women  in  zenanas  is  like  that  of  a  frog  in 
a  well;  everywhere  there  is  beauty  but  we  cannot 
see  it." 

Its  Evil  Effects. — The  testimony  of  Mrs.  Isabella 
Bird  Bishop  is  as  follows:  **  These  faiths  degrade 
women  with  an  infinite  degradation.  I  have  lived  in 
zenanas  and  harems  and  have  seen  the  daily  life 
of  the  secluded  women,  and  can  speak  from  bitter 
experience  of  what  their  lives  are ;  the  intellect 
dwarfed  so  that  the  woman  of  twenty   or   thirty 


WOMANHOOD  145 

years  of  age  is  more  like  a  child  of  eight  intellec- 
tually; while  all  the  worst  passions  of  human  nat- 
ure are  stimulated  and  developed  in  a  fearful 
degree." 

Results  of  Hinduism. — Missionaries  find  the 
women  attractive  and  lovable,  but  the  wrongs  which 
they  suffer  often  weigh  heavily  upon  their  hearts. 
Try  and  put  yourself  in  a  high-caste  Indian  woman's 
place.  Think  of  what  life  would  be  to  you,  if  you 
knew  of  no  Heavenly  Father  who  loved  you,  of  no 
Savior  who  died  for  you,  and  of  no  Holy  Spirit  to 
help  you  in  your  daily  life.  Take  from  your  life  the 
privilege  of  the  Church,  all  knowledge  of  the  Bible, 
and  of  reading  altogether,  and  the  opportunity  of  in- 
telligent prayer.  Imagine  your  life  without  a  book 
or  picture,  never  a  landscape,  nor  a  friendly  visit  to 
a  neighbor's  house,  nor  a  walk  out  of  doors  in  God's 
sunshine.  Supposing  you  knew  of  no  forgiveness  for 
your  past  sins,  no  present  grace  and  strength  for 
daily  life,  and  no  certain  hope  for  the  future.  If 
death  has  come  into  your  home,  and  you  knew  of  no 
hope  of  ever  meeting  your  loved  ones  again,  what 
would  life  be  to  you  under  these  conditions?  If 
you  could  see  the  women  tearing  their  hair  and 
beating  their  breasts,  if  you  could  hear  the  wild 
dirge  of  those  who  follow  their  dead  with  all  hope 
gone  out  forever,  your  hearts  would  go  out  to 
these  suffering  sisters  that  you  might  show  them 
a  better  way.  Here  is  a  mournful  dirge  which  is 
sung  in  South  India  by  a  mother  on  the  death  of 
her  child,  as  quoted  by  Mr.  Datta.      I  have  often 


146  INDIA   AWAKENING 

heard  it  as  a  sad  funeral  procession  passed  me  on 
the  road: 


**0h!    Thou  apple  of  my  eye,  Oh,  my  darling!    my  blissful 

paradise ; 
Oh!  the  apple  of  my  eye,  Where  has  thou  hidden  thyself  I 
Oh!  my  golden  jewel.  Oh!  my  eyes. 
Oh!  my  flower,  where  hast  thou  hidden  thyself? 
Is  this  any  one 's  curse  upon  me.    Oh !  the  apple  of  my  eye ! '  * 


Child  Marriage. — One  fruitful  cause  of  the  suffer- 
ings of  India  is  its  custom  of  infant  marriage.  A 
leading  Hindu  says :  * '  Early  marriage  is  the  great- 
est evil  of  our  country.  It  has  stood  at  the  very 
springs  of  the  life  of  the  nation  and  prevented  the 
normal  expansion  of  which  it  is  capable.''  At  the 
last  census  there  were  2,273,245  wives  under  the  age 
of  ten;  243,502  under  five  years,  and  10,507  baby 
wives  under  one  year  of  age.  These  little  baby 
wives  live  with  their  parents  until  about  the  age  of 
twelve,  but  if  the  little  boy  husband  dies,  the  girl 
is  left  a  widow  for  life,  with  all  the  curse  of  widow- 
hood upon  her.  Only  in  the  last  decade  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  after  the  indignant  agitation  of  the 
missionaries,  was  the  age  of  marriage  raised  from 
ten  to  twelve  years  by  the  Indian  government.  So 
great  was  the  storm  of  protest  which  broke  from  the 
Hindu  community  at  having  their  '*  rights  "  inter- 
fered with,  that  there  was  a  fear  of  serious  trouble, 
and  the  troops  were  kept  under  arms,  while  great 
mass  meetings  and  demonstrations  of  protest  were 


CHILD    MARRIAGE 

Husband,   wife,   and   two   children 


■* 


t' 


WOMANHOOD  147 

held  by  the  Hindus!  One  hardly  needs  to  suggest 
to  what  physical  degeneracy  it  must  lead  a  nation  to 
have  girls  of  twelve  as  mothers. 

Child  Wives. — A  little  girl  came  recently  to  the 
veranda  of  our  house  decked  in  jewels  and  finery  on 
her  wedding  day.  She  was  only  twelve  years  old, 
about  the  age  of  my  little  girl.  She  had  come  for 
the  customary  present,  and  my  wife  brought  out 
what  she  thought  would  please  her  most,  a  little 
doll.  The  child  clapped  her  hands  and  took  it  home 
to  play  with  in  the  intervals  of  her  housework.  But 
her  childhood  was  gone  forever.  In  another  house 
where  my  wife  was  visiting,  they  said  to  the  little 
girl,  *  *  Bring  out  your  baby, ' '  and  she  came  carrying 
her  own  child,  a  mother  at  the  age  of  twelve !  We 
may  think  that  ''  their  religion  is  good  enough  for 
them/'  but  would  it  be  good  enough  for  you  if  this 
were  your  little  girl? 

A  Woman's  Life. — A  woman  has  no  independence. 
For  her  marriage  she  usually  is  not  consulted.  It 
is  arranged  for  her  by  her  parents.  As  a  child  wife 
she  is  placed  under  the  control  of  her  mother-in-law, 
who  is  often  jealous,  and  makes  her  the  drudge  of 
the  house.  As  the  Tamil  proverb  says:  *'  If  the 
mother-in-law  breaks  a  vessel,  it  does  not  matter ;  it 
is  only  earthenware.  But  if  the  daughter  does  so, 
it  is  gold.*'  The  little  girl  may  be  married  to  a 
youth  of  fifteen,  who  is  struggling  to  pass  his  ex- 
aminations in  high  school  or  college ;  or  she  may  be 
"  tied  "  for  life  to  an  old  man  of  fifty  or  sixty. 
Large  dowries  have  to  be  paid  by  the  unfortunate 


148  INDIA   AWAKENING 

father  of  the  bride,  according  to  the  standing  of  the 
bridegroom. 

The  Power  of  Custom. — ^It  is  difficult  for  us  to 
realize  the  awful  power  of  Hindu  custom  and  tra- 
dition. A  wealthy  political  leader,  a  Hindu  lawyer 
with  an  income  of  $30,000  a  year,  was  writing  and 
lecturing  to  prove  that  in  ancient  times  child  mar- 
riage was  not  a  custom  in  Hinduism,  and  that  they 
should  institute  a  reform.  It  was  only  later  that  the 
law  of  Manu  prescribed  that  a  man  of  thirty  should 
marry  a  girl  of  twelve,  and  a  man  of  twenty-four,  a 
girl  of  eight  years  of  age.^  But  the  first  ceremony, 
which  is  binding  for  life  and  leaves  the  girl  widowed 
if  the  husband  dies,  is  performed  long  before  the 
girl  is  twelve.  I  asked  this  political  friend  of  mine 
whether  he  was  living  up  to  his  own  convictions,  or 
whether  he  was  going  to  give  his  own  daughters  in 
marriage  as  children.  He  said,  "  Alas,  I  can  do 
nothing.  If  I  withheld  my  daughters  from  marriage 
till  the  age  of  twelve  or  fourteen,  I  would  be  ostra- 
cised and  they  and  their  families  would  be  boycotted 
by  the  community.  We  could  not  possibly  stand 
against  the  pressure  of  Hindu  custom  and  opinion. 
I  can  do  nothing  but  agitate  and  wait,  for  the  caste 
must  move  together.'*  Hindu  law  allows  no  di- 
vorce; for  woman,  marriage  is  irrevocable. 

Widowhood. — But  the  heaviest  curse  of  Hinduism 

falls  upon  the  high-caste  widows,  because  the  widow 

is  supposed  to  be  responsible    for    her    husband's 

death,  and  to  have  caused  it  by  some  sin  of  her  own 

1  Manu,  IX.  94. 


WOMANHOOD  149 

in  a  previous  existence.  Her  head  is  shaved,  and 
for  a  year  she  must  eat  but  one  meal  a  day,  with 
frequent  fasts.  All  her  jewels  are  torn  from  her, 
she  is  clothed  in  a  plain  white  cloth,  often  she  be- 
comes the  drudge  of  the  house,  and  if  she  is  young 
and  beautiful  a  worse  fate  frequently  awaits  her. 

Great  Number  of  Widows.— Of  144,000,000  women 
in  India  nearly  26,000,000,  or  one  woman  in  every 
six,  is  a  widow.  They  would  outnumber  three  times 
the  population  of  Canada.  There  are  115,285  widows 
under  ten  years  of  age,  19,487  under  five,  and  1,064 
under  one  year  of  age  in  India. 

Forbidden  to  Remarry. — A  widow  is  forbidden  by 
Hindu  custom  to  remarry.  A  few  men  who  have 
dared  to  marry  these  child  widows  whose  husbands 
had  died  in  infancy,  have  paid  a  heavy  penalty. 
Young  Krishna  Rao  suffered  so  from  the  persecu- 
tions of  the  community,  after  marrying  a  widow, 
that  he  finally  committed  suicide. 

A  Fearful  Change. — In  a  village  some  miles  from 
our  bungalow  lived  a  handsome  girl,  about  thirteen 
years  of  age.  The  first  time  my  wife  visited  her, 
she  was  dressed  in  bright  silks,  her  neck  and  arms 
were  loaded  with  jewels,  and  she  was  the  center  of 
an  admiring  crowd  of  women,  for  she  was  the  bride, 
and  the  wedding  festivities  were  still  in  progress. 
A  few  months  later,  my  wife  went  to  the  house 
again.  She  scarcely  recognized  her  pupil,  for  in- 
stead of  the  gaily  attired,  bright-faced  girl  she  was 
accustomed  to  meet,  a  wobegone  object  met  her 
eye.     Cholera  had  swept  through  the  village,  and 


150  INDIA   AWAKENING 

this  girl's  husband  had  been  one  of  the  victims.  Poor 
child!  They  had  taken  from  her  all  her  pretty- 
clothes,  and  the  jewels  which  Indian  women  dearly 
love,  and  the  widow's  hated  garb  of  mourning  was  a 
sign  of  her  dismal  fate.  But,  more  striking  than 
the  change  of  dress  was  the  altered  look  on  the 
girl's  face.  She  crouched  against  the  wall  with  an 
expression  of  dull,  hopeless  misery,  her  eyes  red 
with  weeping,  her  whole  attitude  suggestive  of  ut- 
ter despair.  The  women  of  the  house  said  that  her 
study  must  now  be  given  up,  for,  to  use  their  own 
words,  ''  It  is  a  disgrace  for  a  widow  to  learn."  It 
was  only  after  much  persuasion  and  pleading  that 
they  allowed  the  lessons  to  be  resumed,  and  the 
poor  little  broken-hearted  widow  found  comfort  in 
the  knowledge  of  him  who  came  to  be  the  resurrec- 
tion and  the  life  to  all  that  believe  in  him. 

Young'  Brahman  Widow. — Another  pupil  was  a 
young  Brahman  widow.  On  the  first  visit,  noting 
the  girl's  shaven  head  and  sad  face,  my  wife  said  to 
her,  **  How  long  have  you  been  a  widow?  ''  **  Ten 
years,**  was  the  answer.  She  was  only  twenty-one 
years  of  age ;  yet  half  her  life  had  been  spent  in 
widowhood.  Try  and  put  yourself  in  the  place  of 
this  girl,  and  think  what  such  a  life  would  mean  to 
you. 

Immorality. — The  Hindu  customs  which  sanction 
the  nautch,  or  dancing-girls,  the  Devadasis  or  **  ser- 
vants of  the  gods,'*  who  are  married  to  the  god  for 
a  life  of  religious  prostitution^  and  the  practise  in 
western  India  of  dedicating  girls  for  a  life  of  im- 


WOMANHOOD  151 

morality  to  the  god  Khandoba,  become  a  stream  of 
poison  in  Indian  society.  A  newspaper,  The  Hindu, 
affirms  of  this  custom  of  the  dancing-girls  ' '  that  the 
demoralization  it  causes  is  immense.  So  long  as  we 
allow  it  to  be  associated  with  our  temples  and  places 
of  worship,  we  offend  and  degrade  our  nationality. 
The  loss  and  misery  it  has  entailed  on  many  a  home 
is  indescribable."  This  custom  of  dancing-girls  is 
connected  with  the  stories  of  Krishna,  and  Bishop 
Caldwell  says  that,  *'  the  stories  related  of  Krishna's 
life  do  more  than  anything  else  to  destroy  the 
morals  and  corrupt  the  imagination  of  Hindu 
youth." 

Nautch-girls. — The  presence  of  the  nautch-girl  is 
sought  at  weddings  and  other  ceremonies.  She  is 
the  one  who  fastens  the  wedding  necklace,  which  is 
the  equivalent  of  the  wedding  ring  of  the  West,  and 
her  defiled  hands  tie  the  marriage  knot  and  pollute 
the  very  inception  of  marriage.  The  Hindu  Social 
Reform  Association  of  Madras  in  a  petition  to  the 
government  states  * '  that  these  women  are  invariably 
prostitutes,"  and  *'  that  this  practise  not  only  neces- 
sarily lowers  the  moral  tone  of  society  but  also 
tends  to  destroy  that  family  life  on  which  national 
soundness  depends,  and  to  bring  upon  individuals 
ruin  in  property  and  character  alike."  As  Mr. 
Tagore  says,  *'  It  is  a  canker  that  eats  into  the  vitals 
of  our  national  existence  and  which,  if  not  removed, 
in  time  may  lead  to  the  degeneracy  and  decay  of  the 
whole  race."  In  South  Inflia  alone  there  are  12,000 
temple  women  dedicated  to  the  service  of  the  gods. 


152  INDIA   AWAKENING 

Their  immorality  constituted  a  part  of  the  religious 
worship  of  the  temple,  polluting  priests  and  people 
alike,  until  restrained  by  the  British  government. 

Defenceless  Girls. — Our  hearts  go  out  to  these 
poor  defenceless  girls  in  India.  Miss  Carmichael  has 
begun  rescuing  little  girls  who  are  being  sold  to  the 
temples  for  lives  of  shame.  She  has  over  a  hundred 
beautiful,  bright-faced  children,  who  had  been,  or 
were  about  to  be,  sold  to  the  temple  and  **  married 
to  the  god  "  for  a  life  of  immorality.  For  some  she 
paid  ten  cents,  others  had  been  promised  to  the 
temple  for  as  high  as  thirty  dollars,  while  some  she 
got  free. 

Cruel  Alternatives. — There  is  much  that  cannot  be 
told.  A  poor  helpless  and  defenceless  widow  who  is 
at  the  mercy  of  the  men  of  her  household  gives  birth 
to  a  child.  One  of  three  things  happens :  the  mother 
must  go  down  the  well,  or  the  child  must  be  put  out 
of  the  way  by  infanticide,  or  it  must  be  sold  to  the 
temple.  Miss  Carmichael  herself  tells  the  story  of 
one  of  these  bright-faced  little  girls. 

Married  to  the  God. — '*  I  was  coming  home  from 
work  a  few  evenings  ago  when  I  met  two  men  and  a 
child.  They  were  caste  men  in  flowing  white 
scarves,  dignified,  educated  men.  A  sudden  fear 
shot  through  me,  and  I  looked  at  the  men  and  they 
laughed.  *  We  are  taking  her  to  the  temple  there, 
to  marry  her  to  the  god.^  The  child  turned  once 
and  waved  her  little  hand  to  me.  The  men's  faces 
haunted  me  all  that  night.  And  now  it  is  all  over, 
and  she  is  *  tied.*    There  in  the  temple  sits  the  holy 


WOMANHOOD  153 

Brahman  priest;  a  carcass,  moving,  breathing,  sin- 
ning— such  a  one  sits  by  that  child  to-day.  The  day 
I  saw  him  they  had  wreathed  him  with  fresh  cut 
flowers;  white  flowers  crowned  that  hideous  head. 
His  life  is  simply  unthinkable.  Talk  of  beasts  in 
human  shape,  it  is  slandering  the  good  animals  to 
compare  bad  men  to  beasts.  Safer  far  in  a  tiger's 
den  than  in  that  man's  monastery.  But  he  is  a 
temple  saint,  wise  in  the  wisdom  of  his  creed; 
earthly,  sensual,  devilish.  Now  put  a  flower  in  his 
hand,  a  human  flower  this  time.  Now  put  beside 
him,  if  you  can,  a  little  girl — ^your  own  little  girl, 
and  leave  her  there — ^yes,  leave  her  there  in  his 
hand." 

Failure  of  Hinduism. — ^Infanticide  has  been  for- 
bidden in  India,  and  is  no  longer  common  as  it  once 
was,  but  every  census  still  shows  about  five  million 
less  women  than  men.  As  long  ago  as  1802  the  gov- 
ernment enacted  laws  for  the  suppression  of  infanti- 
cide. When  one  thinks  of  the  children  of  India, 
bright-eyed  and  beautiful,  intelligent  and  lovable,  yet 
growing  up  in  the  obscenity  of  heathen  streets  and 
poisoned  by  the  stories  of  false  gods,  one's  heart  is 
moved  with  compassion.  Even  now  as  we  read,  a 
mother  is  offering  her  little  girl  before  the  great 
hideous  idol  to  be  *  *  married  to  the  god. '-  Even 
now  children  are  being  bought  and  sold  in  India 
Even  now  their  feet  are  slipping  down  into  the  mire 
of  Hinduism.  With  all  its  gleams  of  truth,  its  high 
philosophy  and  its  noble  precepts,  Hinduism  has  not 
uplifted  womanhood  nor  redeemed  childhood.     The 


154  INDIA   AWAKENING 

spotless  story  of  the  childhood  of  Jesus  and  his  re- 
ceiving of  little  children,  his  emancipation  of  woman- 
hood and  his  gospel  for  the  women  of  the  world, 
have  made  a  different  life  possible  for  the  women 
and  children  of  India.  It  is  ours  to  give  them  this 
life. 

Visit  to  Pandita  Ramabai. — In  order  to  realize  in 
the  concrete  the  actual  life  of  Indian  women  let  us 
take  the  lives  of  three  typical  women  who  passed 
from  Hinduism  to  Christianity,  and  study  them  to 
see  the  contrast  between  the  two  religions.  The  first 
is  that  of  Pandita  Ramabai.  It  was  on  a  summer 
evening  that  I  left  the  train  and  made  my  way 
across  the  famine-parched  prairie  to  the  hundred 
acres  of  Ramabai 's  School.  A  great  quadrangle  of 
long  stone  buildings  appeared,  a  striking  monument 
to  a  woman's  faith  and  to  the  grace  of  God.  We 
went  inside  the  quadrangle,  past  neatly  dressed  In- 
dian girls,  to  the  garden  in  the  center,  laid  out  with 
beautiful  design,  so  that  the  decorations  of  the  flower 
beds  in  Scripture  texts  spell  out  the  praises  of  God. 
It  is  well  that  they  should  praise  him  here  where 
the  desert  has  been  made  to  blossom  as  the  rose,  and 
human  hearts  have  been  delivered  from  the  shame 
and  sorrow  of  earth  to  the  purity  and  joy  of  heaven. 

Personality  and  Early  Life. — In  the  evening  we 
sat  upon  the  mud  floor  and  took  supper  with  Rama- 
bai and  the  devoted  women  who  are  helping  her. 
We  had  curry  and  rice,  coarse  native  bread  and 
milk.  But  the  most  interesting  feature  of  the  meal 
was  Ramabai  herself.    Her  face  was  brimful  of  in- 


WOMANHOOD  155 

telligence  and  bright  with  humor,  though  there  is  a 
touch  of  sadness  about  it  too  at  times.  The  next 
day  was  Sunday.  We  wondered  why  no  breakfast 
appeared,  but  found  that  the  girls  gave  up  their 
morning  meal  on  Sunday  to  help  their  starving 
people.  As  the  hundreds  of  girls  gathered  for  Sun- 
day worship,  neat,  clean,  womanly,  and  happy,  we 
could  not  but  be  moved  at  the  thought  of  the  past 
from  which  they  had  been  rescued;  the  worst  of 
them  from  widowhood,  starvation,  sin,  or  shame ;  the 
best  from  idolatry  and  homes  without  the  Bible, 
without  Christ,  and  knowing  no  hope.  I  found 
Ramabai  in  the  afternoon  having  a  quiet  time  with 
her  Bible,  with  leisure  to  answer  my  questions. 
From  her  own  lips  I  learned  the  story  of  her  life. 
She  said :  *  *  In  the  great  famine  of  '77,  when  I  was 
a  girl,  our  family  was  reduced  to  starvation.  We 
prostrated  ourselves  before  the  idols  day  and  night. 
When  our  money  was  gone  we  began  to  sell  our 
jewelry,  clothes,  and  cooking  utensils.  The  day 
came  when  the  last  grain  of  rice  was  gone.  We 
went  into  the  forest  to  die  there.  First  my  father, 
then  my  mother,  and  then  my  eldest  sister  died  from 
starvation.  My  brother  and  I  continued  our  sad 
pilgrimage  from  the  south  to  the  northern  boundary 
of  India,  and  back  again  to  Calcutta.  I  was  often 
without  food  for  days.  Four  long  years  we  suffered 
from  scarcity.  My  memory  of  the  last  days  of  my 
parents'  lives  so  full  of  sorrow  almost  breaks  my 
heart." 
Her  Work  of  Faith. — In  her  early  life  she  had  re- 


156  INDIA   AWAKENING 

eeived  an  exceptional  education  in  Sanskrit  and 
other  Indian  tongues  and  she  can  now  speak  six 
languages.  She  had  read  portions  of  the  Scripture, 
and  had  been  influenced  by  Nehemiah  Goreh,  but  it 
was  not  until  her  journey  to  England  that,  seeing 
the  superiority  of  Christianity  over  Hinduism,  she 
was  baptized.  She  said :  * '  I  have  read  the  story  of 
George  Miiller  and  the  China  Inland  Mission,  and  I 
thought,  '  If  others  can  trust  God,  why  should  not 
I?  *  In  the  famine  of  '96  I  saw  these  girls  dying 
and  I  felt  that  I  must  save  them.  I  said,  *  I  will 
depend  upon  God  and  not  man ;  and  I  began  to  take 
in  these  starving  girls,  keeping  them  at  first  under 
the  trees  for  shelter.  I  asked  God  for  money  for 
buildings  and  he  has  sent  over  $25,000.  Already  he 
has  sent  me  five  hundred  girls,  and  if  God  sends 
them  I  will  take  a  thousand  more.'* 

Executive  Power. — It  was  not  long  until  she  had 
that  number.  Think  of  one  native  woman,  in  this 
land  of  timid  women,  drawing  the  plans  and  super- 
intending the  construction  of  immense  buildings ;  di- 
recting a  hundred  teachers,  matrons,  and  workers; 
providing  a  thousand  girls  with  education  and  in- 
dustrial training,  in  sewing  and  weaving,  housework 
and  farming,  running  a  dairy  and  oil  mill,  and  hav- 
ing them  taught  cooking  and  nursing!  She  told 
me  that  God  had  abundantly  supplied  all  her  needs. 
She  said  little  of  her  faith  but  much  of  God's  faith- 
fulness. In  the  life  of  this  woman  is  there  not  rich 
promise  of  the  future  possibilities  of  India's  women? 

A  Transformed  Life. — I  was  sitting  with  a  friend 


WOMANHOOD  157 

on  the  veranda  of  the  mission  bungalow,  when  the 
work  of  the  day  was  done.  In  front  of  us  lay  the 
mighty  Jumna  River,  reflecting  the  rose-tinted 
clouds  overhead.  Pointing  to  a  building  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  river,  my  friend  told  me  the  fol- 
lowing story,  Among  the  girls  in  the  mission  board- 
ing-school was  a  bright,  attractive  young  girl,  who 
passed  through  the  various  classes,  and  was  finally 
employed  as  a  teacher.  One  summer  she  noticed 
some  sores  between  her  fingers,  and,  as  they  did  not 
yield  to  ordinary  treatment,  she  was  taken  to  the 
doctor,  who  sorrowfully  pronounced  her  to  be  a 
leper.  You  of  the  West  do  not  realize  the  horrors 
of  leprosy,  but  we  in  India  are  painfully  familiar 
with  the  bloated  features,  the  decayed  limbs,  and 
the  festering  sores  of  the  leper.  It  is  a  living  death. 
There  was  only  one  thing  to  be  done,  the  girl 
must  be  segregated  to  avoid  spreading  the  awful  dis- 
ease by  contagion.  She  must  give  up  the  compan- 
ions of  her  girlhood,  the  friends  with  whom  she  had 
so  long  lived,  and  the  work  she  was  so  successfully 
carrying  on.  When  she  arrived  at  the  leper  asylum, 
and  saw  the  women  among  whom  she  must  hence- 
forth live,  she  buried  her  face  in  her  hands  and  cried 
out  in  agony,  **  Must  I  become  like  one  of  these?  " 
Life  seemed  unendurable,  and  death  would  have 
been  a  welcome  release.  She  spent  her  days  weeping 
bitterly  over  her  sad  fate.  One  morning  the  super- 
intending missionary  went  to  her,  and  tried  to  rouse 
some  fresh  interest  in  her  mind.  *'  You  have  had 
many  advantages  that  these  poor  women  have  never 


35S  INDIA   AWAKENING 

had.  Wouldn't  you  like  to  try  and  help  them?  " 
he  said.  It  was  a  new  thought  to  the  girl,  and  for- 
getting her  own  grief,  she  began  to  inquire  about 
the  other  inmates.  She  found  that  they  were  piti- 
fully needy  and  ignorant.  She  formed  them  into 
three  classes,  and  every  day  regular  school  was  held. 
She  read  to  them,  taught  them  to  sing  hymns,  and 
day  by  day  told  them  of  the  Great  Physician  who 
alone  was  able  to  cure  both  body  and  soul. 

The  Joy  of  Helping  Others. — Some  months  later, 
the  mission  doctor  went  to  see  her,  and  the  girl 
opened  her  heart  to  her,  and  told  her  that  at  first 
she  had  almost  lost  her  faith  in  God.  ''But,**  she 
concluded,  "Miss  Sahib,  when  you  came  in,  I  was 
just  thanking  God  for  sending  this  affliction  to  me, 
for  now  I  see  what  an  opportunity  he  has  given  me 
to  help  these  poor,  suffering  women."  The  last  time 
I  saw  my  friend,  I  said,  "Tell  me  how  the  leper  girl 
is  getting  on.'*  The  reply  was,  "The  disease  is 
steadily  advancing.  She  has  lost  all  the  fingers  of 
her  right  hand,  and  can  no  longer  feed  herself.  But 
every  one  of  the  fifty  women  in  the  asylum  has  be- 
come a  Christian,  through  the  work  that  she  has 
done  among  them."  What  but  Christianity  could 
so  uplift  the  life  of  an  Indian  woman,  and  what  but 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  could  change  that  cross 
into  an  opportunity  of  glad  service  for  others? 

Chundra  Lela.^ — Far  in  the  north  in  the  moun- 
tains of  Nepal  a  little  girl  named  Chundra  Lela  was 

*  Widows  are  allowed  to  go  on  pUgrimage,  because  it  is  con- 
sidered a  religious  service  and  is  encouraged  by  the  priests. 


By   courtesy  of   Z.   F.   Griffin. 

CHUNDRA  LELA 


WOMANHOOD  159 

born  of  a  wealthy  family.  She  was  married  at 
seven,  but  at  the  age  of  nine  the  little  boy  husband 
died,  and  she  was  left  a  widow  for  life.  As  she 
studied  her  sacred  books,  in  order  that  the  sin  which 
had  caused  her  widowhood  might  be  removed,  she 
learned  that  this  could  be  accomplished  if  she  visited 
the  four  holy  shrines  at  the  extremities  of  India. 
With  a  purse  of  gold  and  two  servants,  she  started 
out  on  foot  on  the  long  journey  that  was  to  last 
more  than  five  years,  and  to  extend  over  a  distance 
as  great  as  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  and  back 
again. 

Shrines  Visited. — The  first  shrine  she  visited  was 
that  of  the  idol  of  Juggernaut,  in  the  east  of  Bengal, 
at  Puri.  After  a  fortnight  of  costly  worship,  she 
started  on  the  long  pilgrimage  again  far  away  to 
Rameswaram,  on  a  small  island  on  the  coast  of  Cey- 
lon, east  of  Madura.  Night  after  night  in  my  bunga- 
low at  Tirupuvanam  I  have  heard  the  weary  band  of 
pilgrims  passing  the  house  on  the  way  to  this  sacred 
shrine,  where  Rama  is  said  to  have  bridged  the 
straits  between  India  and  Ceylon  with  his  army  of 
monkeys.  After  worshiping  here,  she  started  on 
foot  for  Dwarakanath  in  Kathiawar,  western  India. 
This  place  was  sacred  from  the  tradition  of  the 
obscene  sports  and  immoral  acts  of  Krishna.  After 
fifteen  days  of  worship  and  costly  gifts,  she  started 
on  the  weary  pilgrimage  which  was  to  last  another 
year,  far  away  up  to  Badrinath  in  the  snows  of  the 
Himalayas.  With  bleeding  feet,  cold  and  faint,  she 
toiled  up  the  steep  ascent  and  then  wearily  down 


160  INDIA   AWAKENING 

again,  but  still  there  was  no  peace.  Bathing  at  Be- 
nares and  Allahabad  brought  no  rest.  Then  she  be- 
came a  fakir,  and  by  six  months  of  self-torture  tried 
to  rid  herself  of  sin.  She  would  sit  in  the  burning 
sun  during  the  six  hot  months  of  the  year  with  four 
fires  built  about  her,  and  at  night  stand  or  sit  in  a 
cold  pond,  counting  her  beads  and  crying,  "  Rama! 
Rama!  Rama!  '^  She  said,  "  Nobody  knows  how 
long  those  nights  were,  nor  how  I  suffered  before 
morning.  I  would  go  round  the  string  of  beads, 
repeating  the  name  of  the  gods  108,000  times.  All 
this  I  endured  just  to  find  God." 

Guided  to  Christ. — At  last  broken-hearted,  dis- 
gusted with  the  greed  and  deceit  of  the  Brahman 
priests,  disillusioned  as  to  many  of  the  shams  and 
superstitions  of  Hinduism,  she  came  to  Midnapore 
in  Bengal.  Mrs.  Phillips,  an  American  missionary, 
met  her  one  day  and  told  her  the  great  good  news. 
She  began  to  read  the  Bible  day  and  night.  "When 
she  heard  Dr.  Phillips  preach,  she  said :  ' '  Oh,  what 
a  sermon !  I  felt  I  had  found  that  for  which  I  had 
long  sought.  I  wished  to  leave  Hinduism  with  aU 
its  cruel  deceptions  and  come  out  at  once."  She 
was  baptized  and  began  to  work  for  Christ. 

Widely  Bearing  Witness. — For  three  years  she 
told  the  good  news  from  house  to  house  and  to 
throngs  in  the  street.  Then  she  formed  the  plan  of 
going  to  the  sacred  places,  where  she  herself  had 
once  gone  as  a  blind  seeker  after  truth  with  the 
crowds  of  weary  pilgrims,  in  order  to  tell  them  the 
good  news  of  Christ.    Years  later  another  pilgrimage 


WOMANHOOD  161 

took  her  away  up  to  Nepal,  where  her  brother  at 
last  believed  and  was  baptized  at  her  hands,  in  that 
distant  land  far  from  any  missionary  or  native 
worker.  When  I  was  in  Calcutta  some  years  ago 
she  was  there,  a  white-haired  old  lady,  feeble,  but 
witnessing  still.  She  has  since  gone  to  her  great 
reward,  and  what  a  crown  she  will  have !  God  grant 
that  we  also  may  receive  it,  and  God  help  us  to  send 
the  message  to  our  suffering  sisters  in  India  who 
like  Chundra  Lela  still  sit  in  darkness  and  the 
shadow  of  death,  *'  groping  up  the  world's  dark 
altar  stairs  to  God.'' 

Need  of  Women  Workers. — Are  not  such  women 
worth  saving?  There  are  144,000,000  of  them  in 
India,  not  one  of  whom  can  have  her  God-given 
rights  apart  from  Christ.  Women  are  needed  to 
superintend  Christian  boarding-schools  and  high 
schools  for  girls;  bright,  intelligent,  responsive  as 
they  are,  these  girls  may  be  trained  as  the  future 
mothers  and  Christian  workers  of  India.  Lady 
workers  are  also  needed  for  house-to-house  visitation 
and  work  in  the  zenanas,  where  no  man  can  enter 
and  where  the  women  of  India  can  be  won  alone  by 
lady  workers.  Bible  women  are  trained  and  sent 
out  into  these  homes.  The  lady  missionary  superin- 
tends their  work  and  visits  their  pupils  from  time 
to  time.  Her  relation  with  the  Hindu  women  is 
friendly,  affectionate,  and  often  touching  to  behold. 
Lady  doctors  are  needed  for  the  suffering  women 
of  India.  The  work  is  hard  but  the  reward  is  great, 
and  the  gratitude  of  these  gentle  sufferers  is  beau- 


162  INDIA   AWAKENING 

tiful  to  see.  There  are  at  present  163  lady  doctors, 
and  1,405  unmarried  women  working  in  India.  The 
number  should  be  doubled,  and  the  need  of  women 
missionaries  is  pressing  and  urgent. 

Call  for  Service. — What  can  you  do  for  these 
women  of  India?  Contrast  your  life,  with  all  its 
fulness  of  blessing,  its  knowledge  of  God  and  Christ, 
and  the  joys  of  your  Christian  home,  with  the  needy 
lives  of  your  dark  Indian  sisters.  Can  you  not  share 
with  them  rich  blessings  that  you  have  received 
from  Christ?  You  can  reach  them  by  prayer.  You 
can  reach  them  by  your  gifts.  For  twenty-five  dol- 
lars a  year  you  can  support  a  Bible  woman  to  carry 
the  gospel  into  scores  of  darkened  homes;  while  a 
hundred  dollars  a  year  would  send  the  light,  per- 
haps, into  the  homes  of  a  whole  town.  What  sac- 
rifice are  you  willing  to  make  for  the  women  of  In- 
dia? **  The  silent  cry  of  the  wronged  womanhood  of 
this  vast  empire  is  rising  up  daily  to  the  Savior  of 
women.  Am  I  willing  to  place  myself  at  his  disposal 
that  he  may  use  me  to  set  the  captives  free?** 


THE    CHURCH    AND    THE 
MISSIONARY 


I  believe  that  the  progress  of  our  faith  hitherto  in  India  has 
been  hindered  more  than  we  for  the  most  part  dream  of  by  the 
fact  that,  partly  owing  to  the  very  nature  of  the  English  character 
which  in  its  strongly  marked  and  somewhat  self-assertive  indi- 
viduality finds  real  solidarity  of  life  and  action  difficult  and  un- 
congenial, the  Christian  religion  has  been  presented  to  the  natives 
of  India,  and  is  thought  of  by  them,  almost  exclusively  as  an  indi- 
vidual matter  concerning  simply  the  relation  of  each  separate  soul 
to  its  God,  while  the  complement  to  this  essential  foundation  which 
is  supplied  so  abundantly  in  the  New  Testament,  I  mean  the  neces- 
sary unity  of  the  whole  as  one  body  in  Christ,  has  hardly  been 
brought  home  to  their  thoughts  or  pressed  upon  their  imagination 
at  all. 

— Lefroy 

These  three  desiderata  of  the  native  Christian  Church — self- 
support,  self-propagation,  and  self-government — are  to  be  desired 
above  all  other  blessings  by  the  missions  and  should  be  sought  with, 
a  persistence  and  a  well-organized  intelligence,  which  will  mean 
advance  and  ultimate  success.  When  these  three  have  been  at- 
tained, missions,  with  all  their  expensive  machinery,  may  gladly 
disband  and  feel  that  their  end  has  been  accomplished  and  that 
they  are  no  longer  needed. 

— Jones 


CHAPTER  Vn 

THE  CHUBCH  AND  THE  MISSIONARY 

Key  to  the  Position. — The  Christian  Church  is  the 
key  to  the  whole  position  in  India.  If  the  Church  is 
pure  and  Spirit-filled  it  will  have  the  power  to  evan- 
gelize the  land.  Let  us  in  this  chapter  confine  our 
attention  to  the  Indian  Church  on  the  one  hand  and 
to  the  life  of  the  missionary  on  the  other. 

Protestant  Christian  Forces. — We  have  in  India 
to-day  a  total  Protestant  force  of  4,614  missionaries ; 
35,767  Indian  workers;  and  a  Protestant  Christian 
community  of  1,472,448.  The  Christian  community 
is  growing  faster  than  any  other  in  India  to-day. 
During  the  last  decade,  the  Hindus  lost  a  fraction  of 
one  per  cent.,  the  Parsees  gained  4.7  per  cent.,  the 
Jews  6  per  cent.,  the  Mohammedans  8.9  per  cent., 
while  the  Christians  as  a  whole  gained  28  per  cent. 
While  the  population  increased  2.5  per  cent.,  Protes- 
tant Indian  Christians  (omitting  Roman  Catholics 
and  Syrians)  gained  49.5  per  cent.  The  total  Chris- 
tian community,  including  Catholics,  Protestants, 
and  SjT-ians,  numbers  about  3,000,000,  or  1  to 
100  of  the  population.  But  unless  the  present  rate  of 
increase  is  greatly  multiplied,  India  will  not  be  a 
Christian  country  for  centuries  to  come. 

165 


166  INDIA   AWAKENING 

Problems  of  the  Church—Self-goveminent.— -The 
problems  which  confront  the  Indian  Church  and  the 
missionary  are  many  and  perplexing.  The  question 
of  self-government  is  a  delicate  one.  Must  all  work 
carried  on  by  foreign  money  be  exclusively  under 
foreign  control,  or  should  Indian  Christians  be  given 
responsibility  for  the  management  of  the  Church 
before  they  have  become  self-supporting?  Should 
authority  lie  in  the  power  of  the  purse  ?  The  danger 
of  building  up  a  huge  system  of  mission  employment 
of  native  workers  superintended  by  foreigners  and 
paid  by  foreign  money  is  that  it  tends  to  relieve  the 
Indian  Church  of  the  needed  burden  of  responsi- 
bility for  the  evangelization  of  their  own  country. 
How  would  you  meet  this  difficulty?  In  Tinnevelli 
the  whole  Church  is  controlled  by  a  native  Church 
Council,  composed  of  four  Europeans  and  about  a 
hundred  representative  Indians.  Because  they  were 
trusted  with  self-government,  they  advanced  rapidly 
in  self-support.  They  have  received  a  decreasing 
grant  from  England  which  amounted  last  year  to 
only  about  $8,000,  while  they  contributed  more  than 
$50,000  themselves  to  self-support  and  for  their  own 
missionary  activity. 

Peril  of  Extremes. — ^In  order  to  preserve  the 
necessary  standards  of  discipline,  to  prevent  com- 
promise with  caste,  to  secure  an  interpretation  of 
doctrine  which  is  neither  too  broad  and  mixed  with 
heathenism  on  the  one  hand,  nor  too  narrow  and 
wooden,  on  the  other,  it  seems  indispensable  that 
the  missionary  should  keep  in  close  contact  with 


THE    CHUECH   AND    THE    MISSIONARY         167 

the  situation.  But  it  is  difficult  for  the  masterful 
Anglo-Saxon  to  confront  the  submissive  Indian  with- 
out assuming  practical  control  by  virtue  of  his  per- 
sonality, even  when  he  may  be  in  a  numerical  minor- 
ity. Can  he  fail  to  assert  himself  when  he  can  see 
the  morals  or  the  doctrine  of  the  native  Church  to 
be  in  danger?  Plainly,  however  complete  a  transfer 
of  authority  may  be  ultimately  desired,  it  may  easily 
proceed  too  rapidly  as  well  as  too  slowly. 

Madura  Method. — In  the  Madura  mission  the  en- 
tire evangelistic  work  and  primary  education  is  con- 
trolled by  a  District  Conference,  composed  of  ten 
missionaries  and  fifteen  representative  Indians.  The 
foreign  contingent  will  gradually  decrease  and  the 
Indian  members  increase  in  number.  This  body  con- 
trols all  the  funds  received  in  India  and  from  Amer- 
ica. The  Indians  are  thus  being  gradually  trained 
both  in  self-support  and  in  self-government.  The 
mission  is  subdivided  into  circuits  and  pastorates, 
each  controlled  by  a  committee,  composed  chiefly 
of  Indians.  The  plan  is  working  well.  Men  can 
only  learn  to  walk  by  walking,  and  the  native 
Church  will  grow  in  strength  as  it  is  trusted  with 
self-government. 

Self-support. — The  problem  of  self-support  is  a 
serious  and  difficult  one  where  the  poverty  of  the 
people  is  so  great.  How  far  should  Christian 
churches  and  schools  be  aided  from  abroad,  and  how 
may  the  people  be  led  to  develop  rapidly  in  self-sup- 
port? That  is  a  question  not  easy  to  solve.  It  is  a 
mistake  to  suppose  that  methods  applicable  in  one 


168  INDIA   AWAKENING 

field  or  mission  are  necessarily  desirable  in  anothef, 
and  that  differences  in  results  are  mainly  due  to  dif- 
ferences in  methods.  Korea  and  the  Karens  in 
Burma  were  ripe  for  self-support  almost  from  the 
beginning,  and  that  method  is  far  better  wherever 
it  is  possible.  But  conditions  are  very  different  in 
India. 

Tlvo  Views. — Two  views  are  held  on  this  question 
by  the  missionaries.  A  minority  maintains  that  self- 
support  is  almost  the  chief  end  sought,  and  that 
however  slow  and  ineffective  th^e  work,  its  develop- 
ment should  be  determined  by  the  ability  of  the 
■people  to  support  it.  They  point  out  the  danger 
resulting  from  a  large  staff  of  native  workers  main- 
tained artificially  by  foreign  money.  The  majority, 
however;  believe  that  an  initial  investment  in  evan- 
gelization, education^  and  the  training  of  able  native 
leaders  will  tend  rapidly  to  develop  a  Church  which 
will  have  the  resources  to  become  self-supporting, 
and  will  have  the  spur  and  stimulus  of  the  example 
of  a  -v^ell-organized  and  well-paid  staff  of  Indian 
leaders  who  have  set  the  pace  for  them  and  whom 
'they  will  eventually  be  led  to  support  in  the  same 
way.  The  rapidity  with  which  many  missions  are 
-developing  in  self-support,  especially  those  which 
^ifeade  a:  liberal  awd-wise  initial  investment,  is  evi- 
-^i^itt^lii  fmfim'Mi  the  latter  method. 
v/o|'^V"oi:'a)ble'1i&amples. — That  some  sections  are  re- 
§|)Oii<liftg?^ta^i^-Support  is  shown  by  the  following 
fexaitJplesY''Anfi>^ng  the  Christians  connected  with  the 
AaglicatIi60Jnmunion  in  the  Telugu  country,  number- 


THE    CHUECH   AND    THE    MISSIONAEY         169 

ing  in  all  twenty-nine  thousand,  the  average  income 
of  a  family — not  of  each  individual — is  about  fifty 
cents  a  week.  Yet  each  member  of  every  family 
contributes  nearly  two  cents  a  week.  In  the  Tamil 
country,  where  the  Christians  are  more  prosperous, 
the  amount  given  is  considerably  higher.  In  Tin- 
nevelli  the  Christians  largely  support  their  pastor- 
ate. It  may  be  said  that  wherever  large  mass  move- 
ments have  taken  place  the  Christians  are  taking 
upon  themselves  increasingly  the  financial  responsi- 
bility for  their  Churches.  In  some  cases  they  go 
even  further  and  support  evangelists  among  their 
non-Christian  brethren.  The  Tinnevelli  Christians 
support  two  Tamil  missionaries  and  seven  Telugu 
evangelists  in  the  Nizam's  Dominions. 

Counter  Considerations. — But  in  other  sections  of 
India,  the  results  as  to  self-support  are  far  less  en- 
couraging. The  extreme  poverty  of  the  people,  and 
their  very  prevalent  indebtedness  makes  giving  a 
quite  different  thing  from  what  it  is  in  this  pros- 
perous country.  Shall  the  mission  fielp  in  paying 
the  salaries  of  native  pastors?  If  so,  will  not  stand- 
ards of  living  for  pastors  be  set  up  which  the  native 
Church  can  never  maintain?  Will  not  also  the  pas- 
tor feel  more  responsible  to  the  mission  which  con- 
trols a  part  of  his  salary  than  to  the  congregation 
which  calls  him?  If  not,  how  can  we  secure  men 
with  ability  and  training?  How  can  the  native  pas- 
tors provide  themselves  with  books  and  other  means 
of  intellectual  growth?  Should  native  Christians  be 
permitted  to  worship  in  unattractive  buildings  in  in- 


170  INDIA  .AWAKENING 

conspicuous  situations,  or  should  they  be  helped  in 
the  matter  of  church  erection?  If  the  latter,  how 
can  we  disabuse  their  minds  of  the  notion  that  the 
mission  ought  to  do  everything  for  them  ? 

Christian  Unity. — The  problem  of  a  divided 
Church,  whichjs  perplexing  to  non-Christians  on  the 
field,  is  a  serious  one.  The  question  of  Christian 
unity,  however,  is  being  solved  in  some  parts  of  the 
field.  We  have  already  united  in  south  India  all  the 
Presbyterians,  Congregationalists,  and  Dutch  Re- 
formed Christians  from  the  missions  of  America, 
England,  and  Scotland,  into  "  The  United  Church 
of  South  India,"  with  150,000  members,  possessing 
a  common  creed  and  a  common  ecclesiastical  gov- 
ernment, chiefly  Presbyterian  in  form.  Other  bodies 
desire  to  join  with  this  United  Church,  but  one  or 
two  are  prevented  at  present  by  the  action  of  their 
Boards  or  Churches  in  the  home  lands.  In  the  mat- 
ter of  unity  we  must  aim  '^  not  at  compromise  for 
the  sake  of  peace,  but  at  comprehension  for  the  sake 
of  truth.'' 

A  Witnessing  Christian. — ^A  few  typical  biogra- 
phies of  obscure  Indian  Christians  may  help  us  to 
realize  the  present  situation  in  the  Indian  Church. 
There  is  old  Solomon,  who  was  converted  eight  years 
ago  in  one  of  our  conventions.  He  had  been  living 
in  sin,  and  he  had  been  in  jail.  At  this  convention 
he  learned  the  secret  of  victory  over  sin.  After 
hearing  an  address  on  witnessing  and  service  he  de- 
cided that  he  would  speak  to  one  man  every  day 
about  Christ.    He  got  the  idea  that  the  missionaries 


THE    CHURCH   AND    THE   MISSIONARY         171 

and  pastors  were  the  men  with  five  talents,  the  cate- 
chists  and  teachers  had  two  talents,  but  he,  a  simple, 
ignorant  Christian,  possessed  at  least  one  talent,  and 
he  must  use  it.  Beginning  with  one  man  a  day, 
he  was  soon  speaking  to  a  score.    Every  day  at  two 

0  'clock  in  the  morning  he  rises  to  pray  for  India  and 
for  an  hour  of  communion  with  God,  and  then  goes 
back  to  sleep.  After  his  morning  Bible  reading,  he 
goes  out  to  witness  for  Christ.  When  I  saw  him, 
through  the  witness  of  himself  and  another  simple 
day  laborer,  a  revival  had  begun  in  the  church,  and 

1  found  there  a  large  company  of  Christians  going 
out  every  Sunday  to  preach  the  gospel  in  the  sur- 
rounding villages. 

A  Christian  Who  Loved. — I  know  of  another  poor 
man  who  came  to  a  missionary  friend  of  mine  and 
asked  that  he  might  be  taken  on  as  a  Christian 
worker  to  preach  the  gospel.  My  friend  said  that 
he  had  no  money,  but  as  the  man  still  pleaded,  he 
finally  told  him  that  he  might  go  to  work  if  he 
could  live  on  a  dollar  a  month,  and  that  he  would 
pay  this  out  of  his  own  pocket.  After  a  time  the 
man  seemed  too  ignorant  to  earn  even  the  dollar, 
and  he  was  dismissed  from  the  service.  Then  the 
Hindus  came  in  from  the  village  and  pleaded  that 
he  be  restored.  They  said,  "  Where  is  that  man 
who  loved  us;  will  you  not  send  him  back?  "  So 
back  he  went  and  began  the  work  again.  His  salary 
rose  from  one  dollar  to  two  dollars,  but  I  am  not 
sure  that  it  ever  exceeded  three  dollars  a  month. 
Yet  the  local  missionary  told  me  with  tears  in  his 


172  INDIA   AWAKENING 

eyes  that  that  man  had  won  some  five  hundred  souls 
for  Christ. 

Blacksmith  Wins  a  Proud  Brahman. — ^Here  is  an- 
other simple  Christian.  He  does  not  look  gifted  or 
educated.  Once  a  drunkard,  a  poor  outcaste  coolie, 
he  was  converted  to  Christ.  The  village  panchayat, 
or  council,  of  the  high-caste  people,  sentenced  him 
to  be  beaten  for  daring  to  change  his  religion  with- 
out their  permission.  He  offered  them  his  bare  back, 
saying,  **  They  beat  my  Lord  and  Master,  why 
should  not  I  suffer  as  well  ?  * '  Then  they  challenged 
him  to  offer  some  sign  or  proof  that  his  religion  was 
true.  The  simple  fellow  ran  and  laid  his  head  down 
on  the  sacrificial  block,  and  said  in  his  zeal,  "  Cut 
off  my  head,  and  in  three  days  I  will  rise  again  from 
the  dead.'*  And  he  truly  believed  that  he  would. 
Whether  he  would  rise  again  or  not  the  caste  people 
did  not  know,  but  they  felt  reasonably  certain  that 
they  would  be  put  in  prison  for  cutting  off  his  head, 
so  they  let  him  alone.  The  first  year  he  won  thirteen 
souls  for  Christ,  and  told  the  gospel  story  without 
money  and  without  price  to  a  thousand  souls.  A 
proud  Brahman  stood  beside  him  and  said  to  the 
missionary,  *'  He  is  my  guru,^  and  I  am  his  disciple. 
God  is  in  this  man's  life."  Such  was  the  witness 
of  this  simple  man. 

A  Modern  Isaiah. — **  Isaiah,"  five  years  ago,  was 

a  drunkard  and  a  poor  outcaste.    He  beat  his  wife 

and  was  guilty  of  all  the  sins  of  his  tribe.    His  wife 

was  a  wild,  ignorant,  jungle  woman.     Three  years 

1  A  spiritual  and  religious  teacher. 


THE    CHUECH    AND    THE    MISSIONARY  173 

ago  he  was  converted  and  patiently  learned  to  read 
his  Bible.  If  you  could  hear  him  in  prayer,  your 
heart  would  be  touched.  As  a  Christian  worker  he 
went  out  and  brought  the  people  of  two  villages  to 
Christ.  He  won  four  men  to  go  out  as  Christian 
workers.  Toiling  in  ceaseless  and  earnest  witness- 
ing, he  receives  a  salary  of  only  two  dollars  and 
fifty  cents  a  month.  In  a  new  village  which  he  has 
just  entered,  he  had  to  live  under  a  tree  for  a  month, 
without  any  house  or  shelter  from  the  rain.  "When 
asked  if  he  was  not  sorry  for  such  hardship  he  re- 
plied, "  The  foxes  have  holes  and  the  birds  of  the 
air  have  nests,  but  my  Lord  had  not  where  to  lay 
his  head.     Surely  I  have  more  than  he !  " 

Primitive  Conditions. — Such  instances  could  be 
multiplied  a  thousand  fold.  Some  men  like  these  are 
working  in  my  own  station,  and  I  am  proud  to  have 
them  as  my  friends  and  fellow  workers.  Many  In- 
dian Christians  fall  far  below  this  standard,  and  one 
of  the  heaviest  burdens  of  the  missionary's  life  is 
to  bear  with  carnal  Christians.  One  may  gain  a 
fairly  accurate  picture  of  mission  churches  in  vari- 
ous lands  to-day  by  reading  Paul's  epistles  to  the 
Corinthian  and  other  infant  churches  of  his  time. 
If,  however,  their  present  condition  is  contrasted 
with  their  former  state,  or  with  the  heathen  around 
them,  there  is  much  reason  for  encouragement. 

The  Missionary. — Let  us  turn  now  from  the  Indian 
Church  to  the  missionary  himself.  Come  with  me 
for  a  visit  to  my  station,  and  let  us  see  how  the  mis- 
sionary really  lives.     A  journey  of  twelve  miles  from 


174  INDIA   AWAKENING 

the  railway  in  an  ox-cart  brings  us  to  the  mission 
compound  of  about  four  acres  of  land,  surrounded 
by  level  fields  that  stretch  away  to  the  blue  hills  on 
the  horizon.  There  are  always  cobras  in  the  com- 
pound, but  they  occupy  it  at  night  and  we  in  the 
daytime,  so  there  is  no  difficulty.  At  night,  how- 
ever, we  never  go  out  without  a  lantern,  or  else  we 
must  clap  our  hands  as  we  walk  to  clear  the  road. 
The  house  is  plastered  inside  and  out  and  has  a  cool 
veranda  and  a  little  straw-covered  room  on  the  roof 
for  sleeping  at  night.  For  the  climate  is  hot — 
'*  three  months  hot,  and  nine  months  hotter.''  It 
is  uncomfortable,  but  I  have  not  found  it  unhealthy. 
I  have  had  better  health  in  India  than  in  America. 
When  I  went  out  I  insured  my  life,  expecting  to 
live  about  five  years  and  earn  a  little  money  for 
missions,  but  I  gave  up  the  insurance  long  ago  as  a 
poor  investment  in  my  case.  We  lead  the  simple 
life,  of  necessity.  A  few  vegetables  and  fruits,  curry 
and  rice,  and  a  little  meat  make  up  our  diet,  but  it  is 
a  happy  life.  I  hear  tales  of  missionary  extrava- 
gance. If  the  missionaries  are  living  in  luxury  they 
must  be  geniuses  to  contrive  to  do  it  on  the  small 
salaries  they  receive. 

Compound  and  Buildings. — The  mission  compound 
is  filled  with  school  buildings  and  the  houses  of  the 
Indian  helpers,  and  it  is  as  busy  as  a  beehive.  Here 
on  the  right  is  our  boarding-school,  training  a  hun- 
dred children  to  be  the  future  leaders  and  Christian 
workers  of  the  district.  In  the  center  stands  the 
church  where  the  Christians  of  the  village  meet  for 


THE    CHUKCH   AND    THE    MISSIONARY         175 

their  weekly  worship,  and  where  our  Indian  workers 
gather  for  their  monthly  meeting  with  the  mis- 
sionary. 

A  Mission  Station. — In  this  station  I  have  the  joint 
care  of  about  fifty  schools  and  sixty  churches,  with 
5,000  Christians  and  500,000  Hindus.  Let  us  visit 
one  of  our  schools.  The  newest  one  was  started  by 
a  Christian  young  man  of  his  own  accord.  I  found 
the  school  first  in  the  cattle  pound,  as  they  had  no 
building,  but  persecution  broke  out,  and  they  were 
driven  away.  On  the  next  visit  I  found  them  under 
a  banyan  tree,  with  fifty  boys  repeating  texts  of 
Scripture  and  singing  Christian  hymns.  There  was 
no  congregation  in  this  raw  heathen  village,  yet  five 
men  came  to  me  and  asked  to  be  received  into  the 
Christian  Church;  and  strangely  enough  they  were 
from  five  different  castes.  Each  might  in  time  be- 
come an  entering  wedge  into  a  new  community.  At 
last,  in  spite  of  opposition,  we  secured  land  and 
built  a  mud  schoolhouse  and  church  combined,  cost- 
ing us  less  than  twenty  dollars.  The  school  has 
now  become  a  little  church,  the  five  families  have 
become  ten  within  a  year,  and  here  is  another  center 
of  light  in  the  darkness,  and  one  more  school  added 
to  our  fifty.  And  so  the  work  is  spreading.  It  is 
this  success  which  embarrasses  the  missionary  finan- 
cially, for  every  fresh  congregation,  every  new 
school,  means  an  added  worker  or  building  for 
which  there  is  no  provision  in  the  appropriations  of 
the  mission  board. 

An  Indian  Church. — ^In  the  last  church  I  visited,  I 


176  INDIA   AWAKENING 

sat  down  with  the  elders  on  the  floor  and  talked 
over  the  crops  and  their  family  affairs.  They  are  an 
attractive  people,  full  of  faults  but  lovable.  Last 
year  that  church  gave  a  full  tithe  of  their  income, 
or  one  tenth  of  their  grain  measured  out  on  the  field, 
in  addition  to  their  Sunday  collections.  They 
brought  in  a  new  constitution  for  their  church  when 
I  was  present,  and  one  rule  was  that  nobody  could 
vote  who  did  not  pay  his  tithes.  I  protested,  but 
they  said,  "  Oh,  they  can  come  to  church,  but  we  do 
not  wish  any  one  to  vote  here  who  does  not  pay 
tithes.'*  I  wonder  how  many  voting  members  we 
would  have  in  our  home  churches  if  this  constitution 
were  in  force  in  America ! 

The  Helpers. — ^We  have  a  hundred  workers  scat- 
tered throughout  this  station.  Most  of  them  teach 
school  six  days  a  week,  and  care  for  a  little  con- 
gregation on  Sunday,  besides  preaching  to  the  Hin- 
dus in  the  surrounding  villages.  Once  a  month  the 
pastors,  catechists,  and  teachers  come  together  for 
the  workers*  meeting,  and  oh,  what  a  busy  day  it 
is!  In  the  morning  each  man  reports  about  his 
work,  telling  of  his  difficulties  and  encouragements, 
of  inquirers  or  new  converts,  or  persecution  in  his 
village.  In  the  afternoon  I  conduct  a  Bible  class  in 
order  to  guide  their  Bible  study  for  the  coming 
month.  This  is  followed  by  an  hour  in  Church  his- 
tory or  some  subject  that  will  help  to  keep  them 
growing  intellectually.  In  the  afternoon  we  go  out 
and  preach  together,  and  after  a  prayer-meeting  and 
a  message,  to  give  them  fresh  inspiration  in  their 


THE    CHUECH   AND    THE    MISSIONAEY         177 

service  for  the  coming  month,  they  return  to  their 
distant  villages.  I  wish  you  could  look  in  at  one 
of  our  meetings.  See  those  catechists  listen  hungrily 
as  we  speak  of  the  deeper  life.  There  are  tears  in 
one  old  man's  eyes.  There  is  Moses,  and  beside  him 
sits  Barnabas;  Jacob  sits  by  Peter  and  David  by 
Samuel.  A  goodly  array  of  apostles,  prophets,  and 
martj^s  are  here.  A  picture  this,  of  the  kingdom  of 
God. 

Moses. — Take  that  serious-looking  man,  Moses. 
How  much  salary  do  you  suppose  he  gets?  Two 
dollars  and  fifty  cents  a  month,  or  thirty  dollars  a 
year.  How  does  he  manage  to  live  on  such  a  sal- 
ary? Well,  of  this  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents,  the 
first  twenty-five  cents  goes  to  the  Widow's  Aid  So- 
ciety, the  Home  Missionary  Society,  the  Benevolent 
Society,  and  other  lines  of  work,  for  he  tries  to  give 
a  tenth  to  the  Lord.  He  supports  one  son  in  the 
high  school,  for  thirty  cents  a  month.  This  boy  can- 
not be  very  wild  on  an  allowance  of  $3.60  a  year! 
Then  he  keeps  one  boy  in  the  boarding-school.  On 
the  remaining  one  dollar  and  seventy-six  cents  a 
month,  he  supports  himself  and  a  family  of  three 
small  children.  He  was  trying  to  keep  his  oldest 
boy  in  school,  but  he  could  not  make  ends  meet  and 
the  boy  had  to  leave.  And  yet  Moses  is  cheerful 
and  happy. 

A  Sample  Day. — ^How  does  the  missionary  live? 
Let  us  take  a  sample  day.  At  five-thirty  we  are 
awakened  by  the  morning  hymn  of  the  boarding- 
school  children.    After  our  **  morning  watch  "  and 


178  INDIA   AWAKENING 

chota-hazri,  or  early  tea,  we  may  go  out  preaching 
in  one  of  the  neighboring  villages ;  for  there  will  be 
forty  villages  within  five  miles  of  the  house  easily 
reached  on  a  bicycle  or  on  foot.  On  our  return,  we 
must  inspect  the  boarding-school,  or  answer  cor- 
respondence which  comes  in  from  catechists  or 
teachers  in  trouble  or  difficulty.  Visitors  come  in 
during  the  morning.  Here  is  a  catechist  to  ask  for 
medicine,  as  cholera  has  just  broken  out  in  his  vil- 
lage. Then  comes  another  to  tell  that  a  fire  the 
night  before  has  burned  down  the  village  and  some 
Christian  families  are  destitute.  Next  comes  an  old 
Christian  from  the  hills,  and  falls  down  prostrate  on 
the  floor  according  to  his  ancient  custom.  "  Sir,'* 
he  says,  **  as  an  outcaste,  I  could  own  no  land,  but 
I  became  a  Christian  and  with  the  savings  of  a  life- 
time, amounting  to  fifty  rupees  ($16),  I  went  to  a 
high-caste  man  to  buy  an  acre  of  ground.  *  Give  me 
the  money,'  he  said,  and  I  did.  *  But  don't  I  get 
some  receipt  or  paper  to  show  for  this?  '  I  asked. 
'  Come  to-morrow,'  he  replied.  He  put  me  off  again 
and  again,  and  at  last  drove  me  away,  saying,  *  I 
never  received  any  money  from  you.  I  have  sold 
that  field  to  my  high-caste  neighbor  and  given  him 
a  deed  for  it.'  Sir,  can  you  not  come  to  the  hills 
and  see  that  I  get  justice  done,  for  I  have  lost  the 
savings  of  a  lifetime  and  I  have  no  money  with 
which  to  go  to  court."  What  would  you  do  in  a 
case  like  this? 

After-breakfast  Program. — At  ten  o  'clock  we  have 
a  simple  breakfast,  consisting  mostly  of  cereals  and 


THE    CHURCH    AND    THE    MISSIONARY         179 

fruit.  In  the  afternoon  we  go  out  preaching  in  the 
town,  or  to  a  neighboring  village.  Then  there  are 
the  accounts  of  the  whole  station  to  be  kept  and 
prepared  for  thorough  auditing;  fifty  schools  have 
to  be  kept  abreast  of  government  requirements,  and 
statistics  and  returns  prepared  for  the  inspector; 
there  is  always  a  new  school-building,  or  church 
under  construction,  or  an  old  one  to  be  repaired; 
there  are  cases  of  discipline,  persecution,  or  arbitra- 
tion to  be  settled,  and  much  '*  serving  of  tables  '* 
before  the  day's  work  is  done.  After  supper  at 
seven  we  have  the  evenings  at  home  with  the  papers, 
the  home  mail,  and  a  little  family  talk,  till  the  chil- 
dren have  to  be  sent  to  the  homeland  for  their 
education. 

A  Day  of  Touring. — The  next  day  we  start  on  tour 
for  the  monthly  round  of  the  station.  We  travel  in 
a  comfortable  two-wheeled  ox-cart,  which  serves  at 
once  as  our  bed  at  night  and  house  by  day.  We 
take  a  boy  along  as  cook,  and  can  stay  out  conveni- 
ently for  a  week  or  two.  In  the  morning  we  in- 
spect the  first  school.  Here  is  a  faithful  old  teacher, 
who  has  been  struggling  on  in  a  hard  village,  with 
never  more  than  twenty  or  thirty  boys  in  his  school ; 
but  he  has  lived  a  consistent,  prayerful,  and  godly 
life.  From  him  the  boys  learned  to  pray  and  read 
the  Bible.  From  him  they  learned  to  know  and  love 
Christ.  Finally,  one  by  one  they  came  to  be  bap- 
tized. Persecution  followed  in  almost  every  case, 
but  eight  high-caste  boys,  now  grown  to  young  man- 
hood, have  already  joined  the  church ;  and  the  little 


180  INDIA   AWAKENING 

school  has  become  a  congregation.  After  examining 
the  scholars  in  the  Scriptures,  and  visiting  the  Chris- 
tians in  their  homes,  we  go  on  to  the  next  village, 
reaching  it  in  time  for  an  evening  meeting  with  the 
Christian  congregation.  Here  are  a  hundred  simple 
Christians  who  come  out  as  we  hold  special  services, 
and  to  whom  we  try  to  give  some  deeper  vision  of 
Christ,  some  message  of  comfort  in  their  Christian 
lives.  The  men  sit  on  one  side,  the  women  on  the 
other  side  of  the  church,  while  the  children  crawl 
about  the  floor. 

Carefully  Garnered  Results. — ^We  go  out  with  ten 
or  twenty  of  our  catechists  each  month  to  tour  the 
station  and  preach  to  the  Hindus.  Almost  every  trip 
brings  a  few  inquirers,  and  sometimes  a  little  group, 
after  a  long  struggle,  has  the  courage  to  come  over 
the  line  and  be  baptized,  though  we  receive  none 
without  careful  preparation.  Our  method  is  to  re- 
ceive them  as  they  come,  whether  singly  or  in  num- 
bers, and  to  count  them  as  ''  adherents  "  from  the 
time  that  they  renounce  their  idols  and  place  them- 
selves under  Christian  instruction.  After  six  months 
or  a  year  we  baptize,  individually,  only  those  who 
show  signs  of  spiritual  life  and  have  sufficient  knowl- 
edge of  true  Christianity. 

Reaching  a  Village. — As  soon  as  a  village  comes 
near  the  point  of  decision,  or  there  are  earnest  in- 
quirers impressed  by  the  truth  of  the  gospel,  we 
concentrate  our  forces  there  for  a  week,  visiting 
the  homes  of  the  people  during  the  daytime,  and 
gathering  them  at  night  with  a  magic  lantern.    Here 


THE    CHURCH    AND    THE    MISSIONARY         181 

we  show  scenes  from  the  life  of  Christ,  and  with 
short  sermons  upon  each  picture  hold  the  entire 
village  for  an  hour  or  two  in  perfect  quiet,  while 
they  are  able  to  take  in  the  story  both  through  the 
ear  and  the  eye.  Here  is  a  village  where  we  have 
.been  working  for  several  days.  The  moment  of 
crisis  has  come.  Each  of  the  catechists  has  spoken 
with  a  short,  burning  appeal.  The  villagers  are 
seated  on  the  ground  in  the  moonlight,  as  we  rise  to 
*'  put  in  the  net  "  and  call  for  decisions.  We  con- 
trast their  present  degraded  condition  with  all  that 
Christ  has  to  offer  them.  We  hold  up  Christ  on  the 
cross  as  their  Lord  and  Savior,  and  then  appeal  for 
decision.  Turning  to  the  head  man,  I  say,  *'  Will 
you  to-night  accept  Christ  and  become  a  Christian?  '* 
There  is  a  moment  of  indecision,  of  tense,  breathless 
silence;  a  hum  of  excitement  passes  through  the 
crowd  as  slowly  and  deliberately  the  head  man  rises 
to  his  feet  and  folds  his  arms.  "  Are  there  any 
others  who  will  join?  "  we  ask,  and  one  by  one  four 
men  rise.  I  then  produce  a  paper,  and  the  pastor 
draws  up  an  agreement  whereby  the  people  promise 
from  that  day  to  renounce  their  idols,  to  attend 
Christian  worship,  to  place  themselves  under  in- 
struction, and  to  strive  to  lead  a  true  Christian  life. 
After  reading  it  over  we  ask  the  four  men  to  sign 
it.  One  slowly  and  painfully  writes  his  name  with 
my  fountain  pen.  The  others  put  a  cross,  if  they  are 
not  able  to  write,  or  touch  the  pen  in  sign  of  assent, 
as  the  pastor  signs  their  names.  Then  we  kneel  in 
prayer,  and  having  commended  them  to  God,  we  go 


182  INDIA   AWAKENING 

on  our  way  rejoicing,  leaving  a  catechist  to  instruct 
them  and  to  open  a  school  for  the  children  of  the 
village.  The  first  step  has  now  been  taken,  a  group 
of  '^  adherents  "  has  been  gathered,  and  we  must 
nurture  them  until  we  have  a  strong  Christian 
church  in  that  village. 

Testing  a  Decision. — I  arrived  in  one  village  where 
I  heard  the  people  wished  to  become  Christians.  I 
sent  for  them  in  the  morning,  but  they  had  gone  off 
to  their  fields  for  the  day's  work.  I  waited  till  noon, 
but  still  they  had  not  gathered.  After  waiting  all 
day  they  finally  began  to  collect  after  they  had 
eaten  their  evening  meal,  about  8  o'clock,  sitting  on 
the  ground  in  the  moonlight.  To  my  consternation, 
I  noticed  that  as  soon  as  we  began  to  preach,  one 
by  one  they  began  to  nod  off  to  sleep,  according  to 
their  custom  after  eating.  I  now  gravely  announced 
that  the  corrective  for  drowsiness  was  to  stand  up, 
and  I  requested  about  ten  of  the  sleepier  older  men 
to  stand,  which  they  solemnly  did  with  folded  arms. 
As  fast  as  any  man  began  to  nod  I  would  ask  him 
to  rise  to  his  feet.  In  this  way  the  pastor  and  I 
continued  preaching  to  them  for  an  hour  or  more, 
and  not  a  man  slept.  The  people  professed  to  be 
willing  to  forsake  their  idols  and  accept  Christ.  But 
I  wished  to  test  their  genuineness  and  ascertain  their 
motives.  Going  with  them  to  the  idol  temple,  I 
took  hold  of  the  elephant-headed  god  Ganesha,  and 
said,  *'  Here  is  this  stone  idol.  It  has  lips  but  can- 
not speak.  It  has  hands  but  cannot  help  you.  Did 
it  give  you  any  relief  in  the  last  famine  ?    If  its  arm 


THE   CHXJECH   AND    THE    MISSIONAEY         183 

is  broken  it  cannot  mend  itself,  but  you  must  make 
another  idol.  Will  you  give  me  permission  to  throw 
down  the  idol  from  its  base?  '*  When  they  did  so,  I 
threw  the  idol  down  upon  its  face.  At  that  they 
laughed  somewhat  nervously  and  seemed  relieved  to 
find  that  nothing  had  happened.  ''  There,"  I  said, 
*'  is  that  helpless  piece  of  stone.  It  cannot  lift  it- 
self, it  cannot  help  itself,  how  much  less  can  it  help 
you?  "  Then  fearing  that  some  one  would  stand 
the  idol  upright  and  claim  a  miracle  for  the  god 
after  I  had  gone,  I  myself  stood  the  idol  on  its  base 
again,  and  said,  ''  Whenever  you  are  ready  to  be- 
come Christians,  send  the  idol  in  a  cart  to  my  house, 
and  I  will  know  that  you  are  in  earnest."  Thus  we 
go  from  village  to  village  exhorting  the  Christians, 
pleading  with  Hindus,  preaching  to  throngs  in  the 
street,  or  dealing  with  inquirers  at  our  wagon  or 
tent;  every  day  we  meet  the  kindly  people,  and 
every  night,  tired  and  happy,  we  pitch  our  moving 
camp  *'  a  day's  march  nearer  home." 

Hardships. — *  *  The  reader  has  now  seen  something 
of  camp  life  without  suffering  its  inconvenience.  He 
has  not  had  to  go  without  food  or  a  drop  of  water, 
such  as  he  dare  drink,  from  fear  of  cholera.  He 
has  not  had  to  push  a  hopelessly  punctured  bicycle 
through  a  blazing  sun  for  miles,  till  his  tongue  has 
literally  cleaved  to  the  roof  of  his  mouth,  and  his 
thirst  has  become  an  absolute  agony.  He  has  not 
stuck  in  the  bed  of  a  swollen  stream  with  a  broken 
bullock-yoke  and  had  to  wait  in  the  rain  till  an- 
other could  be  procured  from  some  far-off  village. 


184  INDIA   AWAKENING 

He  has  not  had  to  lie  for  hours  on  the  hard  road- 
side, hungry  and  tired,  because  his  luggage-cart  had 
broken  down  and  no  food  was  procurable,  and 
finally,  he  has  not  had  to  be  jolted  home  in  a  cart 
for  weary  hours  while  dysentery,  cholera,  or  typhoid 
fever  has  him  in  a  deadly  grip.  He  has  not  had  to 
wrangle  with  an  excited  crowd  about  some  difficult 
question  of  religion.  He  has  not  felt  the  terrible 
loneliness  and  the  sickening  heart-ache  at  failure  or 
the  burden  of  responsibility,  where  he  has  the  care 
of  all  the  churches  in  a  district  larger  than  an  Eng- 
lish diocese. ' '  ^ 

Discouragements. — To  Mr.  Sharrock's  graphic  de- 
scription of  missionary  hardships  one  could  add,  if 
it  were  necessary,  a  whole  chapter  of  discourage- 
ments which  tend  to  dishearten  the  missionary,  but 
to  which  he  never,  thank  God,  need  surrender  or 
succumb,  no,  not  for  an  hour!  The  real  trials  are 
not  physical  discomforts,  for  the  missionary  is  usu- 
ally comfortably  situated  and  the  matter  of  house 
and  food  and  climate  are  mere  outward  circum- 
stances, which  can  do  little  to  make  or  mar  one's 
happiness.  His  real  conflict  is  not  with  flesh  and 
blood,  but  with  adverse  spiritual  forces.  There  is 
that  leaden,  impenetrable  mass  called  ''  heathen- 
ism ' '  which  creates  an  atmosphere  all  about  him ; 
there  is  the  natural  antagonism  and  prejudice  of 
the  non-Christian  mind  against  Christianity  or  any 
other  innovation;  there  is  the  deadly,  materialistic 
indifference  of  the  poverty-stricken  masses  to  any 
*  Sharrock. 


THE    CHUKCH   AND    THE    MISSIONAEY         185 

spiritual  message,  and  the  long  months  or  years  of 
patient  seed-sowing  before  results  begin  to  appear. 
Then  there  is  the  heavy  burden  of  the  uplift  of  a 
Christian  community,  perhaps  long  crushed  and  de- 
graded, with  the  downpull  of  their  dark  heredity 
and  the  tenacity  of  heathen  habits  to  hold  them 
back.  There  is  the  sickening  contact  with  sin,  in. 
individual  or  community,  where  a  Christian  con- 
science has  not  yet  been  fully  developed,  and  where 
one  would  fain  hide  his  face  or  stoop  down  and  write 
upon  the  ground  for  very  shame,  but  he  must  go  on 
filling  up  that  which  is  lacking  of  the  affliction  of 
Christ,  entering  more  deeply  into  the  mystery  of  the 
atonement,  for  his  body's  sake.  There  is  the  prob- 
lem of  how  to  uproot  the  remnants  of  caste  from  the 
Christian  church,  when  one  has  not  yet  uprooted  all 
pride  from  his  own  heart.  There  is  the  need  of  lift- 
ing twelve  or  more  native  fellow  workers,  with  few 
advantages  and  fierce  temptations,  isolated  in  squalid 
villages,  to  a  higher  spiritual  life,  when  one  is  op- 
pressed most  of  all  by  the  problem  of  his  own  inner 
life  and  the  depths  of  his  own  crying  need,  which  is 
the  greatest  humiliation  of  all. 

Strength  for  Trials. — Perhaps  there  is  the  added 
cross  of  being  unwelcomed,  unrewarded,  unappre- 
ciated, and  misunderstood  by  the  community  one  has 
sacrificed  his  life  to  serve.  Perhaps  there  is  the 
loneliness  of  the  sense  of  being  deserted  by  the  home 
base,  of  staggering  under  a  burden  which  was  never 
meant  for  the  isolated  foreign  worker  alone,  but  for 
a  whole  Church,  to  wean  it  from  its  worldliness  and 


186  INDIA   AWAKEKINQ 

call  it  forth  to  heroic  endeavor.  Perchance  the  pat- 
ter of  little  footsteps  has  ceased  about  the  house,  or 
the  table  seems  emptj  with  the  vacant  chair,  or 
oceans  separate  forever  the  home  that  can  be  united 
no  more.  Be  this  as  it  may,  I  know  of  no  work 
harder, — or  happier.  A  hundred  times  it  were  worth 
going  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  if  only  to  learn  with 
friends  and  loved  ones  far  away  and  circumstances 
at  their  worst,  that  Jesus  satisfies,  that  he  alone  suf- 
fices, and  that  he  is  our  unchanging  portion.  There 
is  a  darker  side  to  mission  work,  and  we  would  like 
to  share  it  with  you  at  home,  as  you  are  able  to 
bear  it.  Our  Lord  did  not  give  up  the  task  of  sav- 
ing the  world  because  he  found  it  hard,  nor  wiU  our 
young  people  at  home  shrink  from  the  call  of  the 
heroic.  As  in  Gideon's  day,  if  any  man's  heart  fail 
him,  let  him  turn  back,  but  the  rest  of  us  will  fight 
it  through  to  a  finish. 

Holding  the  Ropes. — As  you  think  of  the  infant 
Indian  church,  struggling  in  the  midst  of  the  down- 
pull  of  heathenism,  and  of  our  Indian  workers  iso- 
lated in  distant  villages,  often  in  an  atmosphere  of 
obscene  language;  as  you  think  of  the  missionary 
with  his  schools,  churches,  helpers,  and  a  vast  dis- 
trict with  thousands  to  reach,  far  from  his  home 
and  friends  and  kindred,  will  you  not  hold  the  ropes 
at  home  and  help  us  by  prayer?  It  is  a  happy  life, 
and  one  deeply  attractive.  In  all  these  fourteen 
years  I  have  never  known  one  hour  of  discourage- 
ment. India  is  home  to  me  now,  and  America  is  a 
foreign  country.     But  we  are  dependent  upon  you 


THE    CHUBCH   AND    THE    MISSIONARY         187 

at  the  home  base.  No  company  of  missionaries  how- 
ever large  or  godly  can  win  the  world.  Only  the 
Church  of  Christ  can  do  that.  Apart  from  you  we 
cannot  be  made  perfect,  nor  our  work  a  success^  I 
think  I  cannot  better  make  you  realize  the  need  of 
some  lonely  missionaries  at  the  front  than  by  quot- 
ing from  a  letter,  written  by  a  white-haired  man, 
who  with  his  brilliant  gifts  has  been  holding  the 
fort  these  many  yearg  out  in  the  foreign  field.  The 
letter  was  written  out  of  a  heart  hungry  for  sym- 
pathy, as  to  a  friend,  but  it  was  not  intended  as  an 
appeal  for  help.    H©  writes: 

A  Heart  Heavily  Bnrdened. — "  If  I  were  not  in 
Bueh  a  desperate  state  here  for  need  of  funds,  if  I 
were  not  carrying  a  personal  burden  of  debt  for 
work  that  had  to  be  provided  for,  perhaps  I  should 
be  able  to  look  at  things  more  complacently.  I  do 
not  see  what  the  end  is  to  be  if  this  state  of  affairs 
goes  on  much  longer.  But  I  must  go  on  doing  the 
best  I  can,  thinking  and  planning  and  worrying  day 
and  night,  fighting  back  every  expenditure  that  can 
be  fought  back,  putting  off  the  future  wherever  it 
can  be  put  off,  keeping  things  at  starvation  rates, 
and  still  believing  that  the  Lord  knows  it  all.  If 
some  of  these  good  people  could  live  in  a  mud  hut 
and  eat  little,  and  that  little  half  dirt  and  most 
unnourishing,  while  they  spent  themselves  in  Christ- 
like  lives  and  earnest  service,  and  then  tell  me  that 
I  ought  not  to  spend  a  few  rupees  here  and  there 
to  keep  that  mud  hut  from  tumbling  down  on  the 
heads  of  my  brother  workers — well,  I  have  been  told 


188  INDIA   AWAKENING 

that,  and  I  have  commended  such  people  to  the  for- 
giving mercy  of  an  all-seeing  Master.  After  I  have 
spent  my  last  cent  of  appropriation  and  every  cent 
that  people  here  can  raise,  including  what  the 
brother  who  lives  in  the  mud  hut  himself  contrib- 
utes, to  help  support  the  said  brother  and  others 
like  him,  am  I  going  to  say,  '  Well,  poor  man,  I 
hope  his  house  won't  fall  down  on  his  head,'  or  am 
I  going  to  do  as  I  would  wish  to  be  done  by  and  lay 
out  a  few  rupees  on  the  repair  of  his  hut?  I  am 
tired;  I  am  tired,  I  am  tired  of  carrying  this  bur- 
den, and  if  it  were  not  for  the  Master,  who  in  the 
cool  of  the  day  walks  beside  me  (and  I  can  see  the 
print  of  the  nails  and  the  wounds  he  bears  and  hear 
his  voice) — if  it  were  not  for  him,  I  should  feel 
like  quitting  and  giving  it  up.  Meantime  it  is 
a  sort  of  relief  to  sit  down  and  talk  it  over  with 
you." 

Urgent  Duty  of  the  Home  Base. — I  have  known 
but  little  of  hardships  myself,  but  as  I  think  out 
over  the  wide  fields  of  India,  of  missionaries  like 
this  one,  bravely  standing  at  their  isolated  posts  in 
the  face  of  discouragement  which  stares  them  in 
the  face,  and  half-deserted  by  the  home  base  which 
only  partly  supplies  the  needs  of  their  growing 
work,  as  I  think  of  these  men  and  their  children, 
the  separation  of  families,  the  little  open  graves 
by  which  some  of  them  have  had  to  stand,  as  part 
of  the  price  of  a  tropical  climate,  I  find  no  words 
strong  enough,  no  thought  adequate  to  express  my 
admiration  for  that  great  company  of  men  whom  I 


THE    CHUECH   AND    THE    MISSIONAilf         189 

have  seen  at  work  all  over  India,  from  the  snows 
of  the  Himalayas  to  Cape  Comorin,  and  from  Bom- 
bay to  Burma.  Oh,  friends,  do  not  desert  them,  but 
hold  up  their  hands,  that  they  may  be  *  *  steady  until 
the  going  down  of  the  sun.'* 


THE  WINNING  OF  INDIA 


The  tragedy  of  India  is  the  failure  of  Hinduism  to  bring  peace 
and  joy  to  the  millions  who  inhabit  its  plains,  to  protest  against 
evil  and  overcome  it,  to  conquer  despair  and  fill  with  hope,  to  be- 
friend the  unfortunate  and  the  outcaste,  and  to  reveal  the  love  of 
God.  This  is  a  serious  charge  to  bring  against  an  ancient  religion, 
•within  the  pale  of  which  have  arisen  noble  seekers  after  truth. 
Yet  the  redemption  of  India  is  not  with  Hinduism.  Once  every 
twelve  years  at  the  confluence  of  the  Ganges  and  the  Jumna  in 
Allahabad  a  great  fair  is  held,  the  most  important  event  in  the 
Hindu  calendar.  Pilgrims  travel  to  it  by  the  thousand.  The  rail- 
road authorities  alone  are  said  to  collect  a  million  tickets,  while  the 
city  and  surrounding  countir  contribute  another  million  and  a 
half  of  people  to  the  throng.  The  sands  are  crowded  with  an  eager 
multitude,  to  many  of  whom  it  is  the  occasion  of  their  life.  They 
come  desiring  to  purify  themselves  from  the  taint  of  sin,  or  to  ob- 
tain some  blessing.  Nearly  100,000  ascetics  and  Brahmans  minis- 
ter to  the  spiritual  needs  of  this  concourse  by  practising  upon  the 
worshipers  the  most  outrageous  and  flagrant  fraud  and  deceit.  An 
eye-witness  tells  us  that  in  one  of  the  numberless  enclosures  is  an 
altar.  Upon  it  stands  a  priest  "who  on  receipt  of  a  rupee  rings  a 
bell  and  shouts  out  the  offerer's  name  before  the  image  of  the 
deity  and  turns  round  to  receive  another  fee  from  the  next  sup- 
pliant. What  most  disgusts  is  the  utter  levity  and  shameless  greed 
with  which  he  does  it  all,  laughing  and  jesting  the  while  in  marked 
contrast  to  the  earnestness  of  the  worshipers."  Surely  we  have  here 
a  parable  which  speaks  of  the  earnest  search  of  millions,  the 
failure  of  Hinduism  to  meet  it  with  any  spiritual  message,  and 
the  heartlessness  which  takes  advantage  of  the  hopes  and  aspira- 
tions of  mankind. 

— Datta 


CHAPTER  Vm 


THE  WINNING  OF  INDIA 


A  Bird*s-eye  View. — ^Let  us  take  an  aeroplane  trip 
in  our  private  car  over  India,  as  the  great  level 
land  lies  below  us  in  fancy.  "We  cross  over  the 
snowy  peaks  of  the  Himalayas,  rising  to  twice  the 
height  of  the  highest  Alps,  over  the  plains  of  the 
north,  dotted  with  their  brown  villages,  and  teeming 
cities,  down  into  the  tropical  verdure  and  the  grace- 
ful palms  of  the  south.  Everywhere,  everywhere 
there  are  villages !  In  all  there  are  715,577  ^  of  them. 
If  our  Lord,  when  upon  earth,  had  gone  through  one 
village  a  day  in  India,  and  had  lived  until  to-day, 
he  would  not  yet  have  visited  them  all.  This  land 
is  not  much  over  half  the  size  of  the  United  States, 
yet  it  contains  over  three  times  its  population.  It 
exceeds  in  population  all  Europe  save  Russia,  or 
nearly  doubles  that  of  the  Russian  Empire.  India 
has  in  fact  twice  the  population  of  North  and  South 
America  combined.  Only  one-thirtieth  part  of  the 
world's  area,  it  yet  contains  one  fifth  of  the  human 
race.  Out  of  every  five  persons  in  the  world  one 
lives  in  India. 

Lines  of  Service. — ^How  are  we  to  reach  this  vast, 

*  Having  a  population  of  less  than  2,000. 
193 


194  INDIA   AWAKENING 

teeming  population?  Every  arm  of  the  service  must 
be  employed.  We  have  first  the  station  missionary, 
with  his  corps  of  workers,  his  schools,  churches,  and 
touring  work.  We  have  also  the  great  educational 
arm  of  the  service,  with  37  mission  colleges,  576 
high  schools  and  11,503  primary  schools,  instructing 
in  all  nearly  half  a  million  pupils.  There  is  the  in- 
dustrial department  taking  the  boys  who  come  over 
in  the  mass  movements,  and  lifting  them  from  their 
helpless  hand-to-mouth  method  of  existence,  to  be 
useful  artisans  and  to  learn  the  trades  heretofore 
monopolized  by  the  higher  castes.  Then  there  is  the 
literary  work,  the  flooding  of  India  from  our  Chris- 
tian presses  with  Bibles,  Gospel  portions,  tracts,  and 
handbills.  Our  150  mission  hospitals  and  313  dis- 
pensaries recorded  last  year  3,639,597  treatments, 
and  have  broken  down  the  prejudice  and  softened 
the  hearts  of  the  multitudes  for  the  entrance  of  the 
Word  of  truth.  Beside  all  this,  we  must  have  our 
evangelistic  work,  as  a  kind  of  flying  column  to 
reach  the  outlying  multitudes  and  carry  widely  over 
the  land  the  herald  of  the  gospel.  All  these  methods 
of  work  are  fruitful;  for  we  must  present  to  India 
our  many-sided  gospel,  and  its  message  to  the  whole 
man,  physical,  mental,  social,  spiritual. 

A  Year  in  Tents. — ^For  a  year  I  took  a  band  of 
twenty  theological  students  and  went  out  and  lived 
with  them  in  the  tents.  The  memory  of  that  happy 
time  is  ever  with  me.  To  walk  with  the  men 
through  the  fields,  a  mile  or  more  with  each  man  in 
turn,  talking  of  their    difficulties,    their    struggles, 


THE   WINNING   OF   INDIA  195 

their  temptations,  praying  with  them,  and  teaching 
them,  while  at  the  same  time  they  were  teaching  me 
the  new  language,  was  a  privilege  that  angels  might 
envy.  Look  in  at  our  camp  for  a  moment  and  see 
the  men  at  work.  At  five  o'clock,  off  sputters  our 
little  American  alarm-clock,  and  in  the  darkness 
there  rises  the  sound  of  a  Tamil  lyric ;  then  the  men 
in  the  dim  light  of  the  candles  have  a  short  time  for 
their  morning  watch  and  prayer  before  the  work  of 
the  day  begins.  A  cup  of  coffee,  and  we  are  off 
for  the  morning  preaching,  dividing  into  six  or 
seven  parties,  with  three  or  four  men  in  each,  and  a 
violin  to  draw  the  crowd.  In  the  morning  we  take 
the  villages  within  a  four  mile  radius  and  in  the 
afternoon  those  within  two  miles,  thus  reaching 
about  twenty  villages  a  day  with  an  average  of  a 
thousand  hearers.  As  we  enter  a  village  the  men  are 
thrashing  out  the  grain,  as  the  oxen  are  driven  four 
abreast  treading  out  the  corn.  Beyond,  the  men  with 
fans  are  tossing  the  grain  in  the  air  to  winnow  it 
in  the  wind.  Down  the  street  the  women  are  pound- 
ing out  the  rice  for  the  noonday  meal.  We  are  fol- 
lowed by  a  motley  procession  of  children,  men,  boys, 
and  dogs,  till  we  come  to  the  center  of  the  village. 
Here  we  strike  up  with  our  violin  and  a  Tamil  song. 
The  crowd  gathers,  and  after  a  short  ten-minute  ser- 
mon from  each  worker,  we  break  up  and  speak  to 
the  people  personally,  seeking  any  earnest  inquirer. 
I  shall  not  forget  my  first  attempt  at  preaching  in  a 
noisy  street.  The  Tamil  verbs  were  hard  enough, 
but  to  compete  with  a  dog  fight,  a  huckster  unwil- 


196  INDIA   AWAKENING 

ling  to  have  his  business  interrupted,  two  children 
crying,  a  group  on  one  side  trying  to  settle  a  quar- 
rel, and  the  low  hum  of  conversation  in  the  crowd, 
was  too  much  for  a  beginner.  But  we  went  back 
that  night  into  the  same  noisy  village  and  with  the 
magic  lantern  held  the  whole  village,  some  hundreds 
in  number,  in  perfect  silence  while  we  told  the  story 
of  the  life  of  Christ. 

Out  in  Camp. — ^In  our  first  station  we  found  the 
fields  white  for  harvest.  Already  some  thousands  of 
Christians  had  been  gathered  by  long  and  patient 
seed-sowing.  The  Hindus  in  many  villages  seemed 
on  the  verge  of  coming  over.  Christians  «ime  from 
all  sides  to  ask  us  to  visit  their  congregations  and 
hold  meetings.  We  were  miles  from  a  railway,  and 
a  white  man  was  a  novelty.  From  some  villages 
they  came  bringing  presents  of  chickens,  eggs,  and 
vegetables  to  us,  and  several  times  they  brought  a 
sheep.  That  meant  mutton  curry  and  a  good  meal 
for  the  whole  camp.  At  other  places  they  would 
insist  on  bringing  garlands  of  flowers  and  accom- 
panying us  to  the  church  with  a  native  band,  in 
which  the  leading  figure  was  the  bass  drummer, 
whose  gyrations,  as  he  used  both  hands  and  two 
drum  sticks,  leaping  in  ecstasy,  whirling  in  graceful 
circles,  and  furiously  drumming  the  whole  time,  re- 
minded me  of  a  combination  of  a  negro  cake-walk 
and  an  African  devil-dance.  The  missionary  of  this 
station  was  a  humble  and  godly  old  man  enduring 
hardship,  spending  most  of  his  time  away  from  home 
among  the  people,  sharing  their  burdens  and  giving 


THE   WINNING   OF  INDIA  1D7. 

nearly  all  his  own  salary  to  the  work.  He  is  off 
across  the  fields  at  dawn  to  visit  some  congregation, 
traveling  by  slow  bullock-cart  in  the  heat  of  the  sun, 
preaching  several  times  a  day  and  coming  into  the 
tent  late  at  night  after  an  exhausting  day*s  work. 
No  wonder  he  has  hard  work,  with  his  4,000  Chris- 
tians scattered  in  over  100  villages,  with  40  schools 
to  superintend  and  1,000  scholars  learning  the  Bible, 
and  with  a  population  of  over  200,000  Hindus  to 
evangelize.  Is  such  a  station  too  small  a  sphere  for 
you  at  home  who  read  this  ?  Above  all  we  need  here 
in  India  more  Spirit-filled  men  like  this  man. 

Ripe  Harvest-fields. — There  is  need  of  an  immedi- 
ate advance  to  reap  in  such  stations  all  over  India 
where  the  fields  are  white,  but  where  there  is  a  lack 
of  laborers  or  of  funds.  The  Bishop  of  Madras 
states  that  in  the  Telugu  country  there  are  2,000,000 
people  who  desire  Christian  instruction,  but  cannot 
be  reached  for  lack  of  funds.  Bishop  Thoburn 
states  that  in  the  United  Provinces  **  more  than 
100,000  are  waiting  to  be  received  into  the  Christian 
community. ''  In  the  face  of  waiting  harvest-fields 
like  this  let  us  not  forget  our  Master's  words,  "  I 
sent  you  to  reap.''  As  Bishop  Thoburn  says, 
**  Nothing  in  all  modern  history,  nothing  since  the 
day  of  Pentecost,  has  been  equal  to  the  present  op- 
portunity." 

Under  Fire. — In  the  next  station  we  entered  a 
wealthy  town  which  was  the  chief  citadel  of  Hindu- 
ism. Here  for  the  first  time  our  students  were 
atoned,  as  they  attempted  to  use  the  magic  lantern 


198  INDIA   AWAKENING 

with  the  life  of  Christ.  They  kept  cool  and  quiet, 
however,  and  told  the  Hindus  that  they  did  not 
mind  a  few  stones  and  would  not  stop  for  them. 
It  was  not  easy  to  stand  in  the  bright  light  of  the 
lantern  while  any  coward  could  throw  at  them  in 
the  dark. 

A  Faithful  Catechist. — In  another  hamlet  we 
found  a  little  church  in  a  squalid  Hindu  village. 
The  catechist 's  life  was  God's  message  to  that 
community.  Alone  here,  we  found  him  following 
McCheyne  's  method  of  Bible  reading,  covering  some 
four  chapters  a  day,  gathering  first  his  family  and 
then  his  little  congregation  of  fifty  simple  folk  be- 
fore daylight  each  morning  to  read  and  explain  to 
them  a  chapter  by  the  light  of  a  smoking  wick,  and 
then  sending  them  out  with  a  fresh  message  to  wit- 
ness to  their  Hindu  fellow  workmen  through  the 
day.  Daily  he  had  taught  his  little  school,  and  one 
by  one  had  sent  some  thirty  boys  up  to  the  mission 
high  school.  I  saw  one  boy,  just  returned,  who  had 
been  converted  while  at  college  and  had  gone  home 
to  witness  to  his  Hindu  family.  The  catechist  had 
go  prepared  the  ground,  that  after  we  held  a  service 
on  the  way  of  salvation,  we  invited  the  Hindus 
present  to  publicly  confess  Christ.  Eight  men  rose 
slowly  and  independently,  professing  their  belief  in 
Christ  and  repeated  after  the  catechist  the  Apostles' 
creed,  stating  their  desire  to  join  the  church. 

A  Great  Festival. — Our  best  opportunity  for 
reaching  large  audiences  is  at  the  great  Hindu  melas 
or   festivals.     Here   the   sluggish   undercurrent   of 


THE   WINNING   OF   INDIA  199 

daily  life  surges  to  the  surface,  and  we  see  Hinduism 
as  it  really  is.  At  a  shrine  some  twelve  miles  from 
Madura,  in  South  India,  upwards  of  50,000  people 
come  annually  to  worship  the  god  Aligarh,  and  to 
get  their  sins  forgiven.  We  had  taken  advantage  of 
the  crowds  to  go  there  with  our  twenty  theological 
students  and  some  thirty  other  workers  to  preach 
the  gospel.  As  we  approached  the  place  on  the 
evening  before  the  festival,  the  weird  shouts  of  the 
worshipers  came  echoing  up  the  valley,  as  throngs 
from  village  after  village  approached  the  sacred 
spot.  Here  come  a  hundred  people  from  a  distant 
hamlet.  The  men  are  leading  a  dozen  goats  in  front 
for  sacrifices.  The  women  are  laden  with  grains 
and  fruits  and  vegetables  for  offerings  to  the  gods. 
Each  has  his  gift,  none  comes  empty-handed  before 
the  idol.  As  they  approach  the  gate,  the  dancing 
religious  fanatics  in  front  burst  into  mad  ecstasies, 
as  the  spell  of  the  god  is  supposed  to  come  upon 
l^em.  In  wild  excitement  they  feign  to  speak  with 
tongues  as  oracles,  yelling  like  demons,  lashing 
themselves  with  whips,  burning  themselves  with 
torches.  We  can  see  the  flames  lick  their  oiled 
bodies  and  even  play  about  their  faces.  We  were 
borne  by  the  great  crowd  up  the  avenue  of  ancient 
banyan  trees  and  carried  in  this  seething  current  of 
humanity  toward  the  sacred  hill  with  its  temple. 

Growth  of  a  New  God. — And  what  is  the  idea  at 
the  root  of  all  this  worship?  Why  are  all  these 
people  here  and  who  is  this  god?  This  Aligarh 
seems   to   have   been   in   his   lifetime    an   ordinary 


200  INDIA   AWAKENING 

wealthy  farmer  and  landowner  of  the  village.  He 
entered  into  immoral  relations  with  a  Mohammedan 
woman  and  to  reinstate  himself  into  caste  he  had  to 
make  to  the  Brahmans  certain  payments  and  offer- 
ings and  bathe  in  a  neighboring  spring.  After  his 
death  a  small  statue  or  image  was  set  up,  which 
the  people  of  the  next  generation  began  to  worship. 
Some  sick  man  worships  before  the  image  and  per- 
chance gets  well,  and  lo !  the  reputation  of  the  new 
god  goes  rolling  up  like  a  snowball,  to  use  Sir  Alfred 
Lyall's  phrase,  and  another  god  is  added  to  the 
330,000,000  already  in  India,  many  of  whom  were 
deified  in  the  same  way. 

Priestly  Activities. — We  entered  into  one  enclo- 
sure and  found  it  the  place  of  sacrifice,  a  great  yard 
reeking  with  blood,  as  the  villagers  led  up  their 
goats  for  the  priests  to  kill.  In  another  enclosure 
they  were  exorcising  devils.  The  villagers  ap- 
proached with  some  poor  woman,  who  because  of 
physical  infirmity  was  supposed  to  be  possessed  of  a 
demon.  The  devil-dancers  demanded  their  money 
and  if  the  sum  was  sufficient  began  their  fiendish 
incantations.  At  last  they  pronounced  the  devil 
gone  and  took  another  victim. 

Sordid  Appeals. — Leaving  the  temple  we  made 
our  way  up  the  long  hillside  toward  the  sacred 
spring.  The  path  was  lined  with  beggars,  cripples, 
and  fakirs.  Here  were  lepers  without  hands  or  feet, 
and  lazy  Sannyasis  ^  whose  only  title  to  holiness  was 
their  matted  hair  and  filthy  bodies.  Here  were  men 
*  Ascetics,  mostlj  worshipers  of  Shiva. 


THE    WINNING    OF   INDIA  201 

who  had  buried  their  heads  in  the  earth  with  their 
hands  protruding  to  take  alms,  and  others  torturing 
their  bodies  to  extort  charity,  or  walking  on  sandals 
filled  with  long  spikes,  while  they  cry  to  the  passing 
crowds,  "  Give  your  charity,  and  get  your  merit.'* 
It  all  seemed  sordid  and  sickening. 

Hands  Outstretched. — At  last  we  drew  near  the 
spring  where  Aligarh  had  bathed,  now  called  the 
'^  Sin-cleansing  fountain."  It  was  a  spring  empty- 
ing into  a  great  open  pit.  This  was  filled  with  one 
mass  of  seething,  struggling  humanity,  with  hands 
outstretched,  fighting  madly  for  the  holy  water. 
They  were  tearing,  striking,  cursing,  falling,  writh- 
ing, wedging  their  way  toward  that  tiny  stream, 
which  could  never  quench  the  deep  dissatisfaction 
of  their  hearts.  There  goes  a  big  fellow  crawling 
over  the  heads  of  the  swaying  mass.  He  gains  the 
spring,  fills  his  cup  and  turns  to  fight  his  way  back 
to  his  family.  Another  drags  him  down,  and  steals 
his  merit  by  pouring  the  holy  water  on  his  own 
head.  A  few  blows  and  curses  and  again  he  strives 
to  fill  his  cup.  Pitiable  mass  of  human  beings! 
Preaching  to  a  large  company  from  one  village  I 
asked,  *'  Tell  me  honestly,  when  you  go  back  from 
this  festival  will  you  still  lie  and  commit  adultery 
like  the  god?  "  *'  Oh,  yes,"  they  answered,  **  there 
will  be  no  difference."  '*  What  then  is  the  use?-* 
I  asked.  '*  Oh,  it  is  the  custom.  Our  fathers  did 
it.'*  No  one  could  preach  to  those  dull  souls  an 
hour  without  feeling  the  down-pull  of  heathenism 
and  its  deadening  effect.     We  placed  our  men  in 


202  INDIA   AWAKENING 

groups  of  two  or  three,  every  hundred  yards  up  the 
avenue,  using  Salvation  Army  methods  to  gather 
the  crowd,  and  after  a  rousing  song  had  drawn  a 
hundred  or  two  hearers,  we  would  leave  a  group  to 
preach  and  move  on  to  gather  a  fresh  crowd.  At 
last  we  got  into  the  temple  yard  and  climbed  up  be- 
side the  great,  swaying  body  of  the  sacred  elephant. 
There  was  noise  from  the  crowd  and  our  throats 
were  as  hoarse  as  at  a  football  game,  but  we  raised 
a  song  and  in  a  moment  had  five  hundred  people 
flocking  around  us.  One  after  another  we  pro- 
claimed the  gospel  to  that  listening  throng,  till  each 
in  turn  was  exhausted.  Tired  but  happy  we 
trudged  back  to  camp  in  the  dark.  Oh,  it  is  a  privi- 
lege that  angels  might  covet  to  preach  a  gospel 
charged  with  power  in  the  very  citadels  of  Hindu- 
ism! Supposing  you  had  to  present  Christianity  to 
such  a  company,  what  message  would  you  have,  and 
how  would  you  present  it?  Under  all  this  popular 
worship  what  elements  of  good  and  evil  do  you  see, 
and  what  do  you  think  is  the  deepest  need  of  this 
people? 

A  Year's  Work. — ^After  the  last  camp  we  tramped 
home  the  thirty  miles  on  foot  and  a  year's  work  was 
done.  Our  object  had  been  twofold,  to  give  these 
twenty  students  a  love  for  God's  "Word,  so  that  they 
might  be  trained  to  study  it  for  themselves,  and  to 
give  them  a  love  for  souls  that  men  might  be  saved. 
During  the  year  we  had  been  able  to  preach  the  gos- 
pel in  2,000  villages,  and  to  reach  over  130,000  hear- 
ers.   More  than  100  congregations  had  been  visited, 


THE    WINNING    OF   INDIA  203 

1,500  Gospels  or  Bible  portions  had  been  sold  to 
Hindus,  and  6,000  patients  had  been  treated  at  the 
door  of  our  tent,  during  the  intervals  of  work.  I 
only  wish  I  had  another  life  to  invest  that  I  might 
spend  all  my  time  in  this  joyous  work. 

Missionary  Spirit  in  the  Native  Church. — It  is  an. 
encouraging  sign  of  the  times  that  the  foreign  mis- 
sionaries are  not  being  left  to  do  all  the  work  alone. 
Indigenous  missionary  societies  are  springing  up  in 
the  Indian  Church  itself.  The  most  significant  of 
these  has  been  the  National  Missionary  Society  of 
India.  According  to  their  own  statement,  '*  In 
Carey's  historic  library  at  Serampore  on  December 
25,  1905,  with  delegates  present  from  each  province 
of  India,  Burma,  and  Ceylon,  there  was  organized 
the  National  Missionary  Society  of  India.  Uniting 
as  it  does  the  Christians  of  all  Churches  and  of  all 
provinces  into  one  great  society  for  the  evangeliza- 
tion of  India  and  adjacent  lands,  its  organization 
marks  a  new  era  in  the  history  of  India.  It  is  re- 
markable that  just  200  years  since  Ziegenbalg  came 
to  India  as  the  first  Protestant  missionary,  exactly 
100  years  since  Samuel  J.  Mills  at  Williamstown, 
Mass.,  with  his  fellow  students  at  the  haystack 
prayer-meeting  began  the  great  missionary  move- 
ment in  America,  and  100  years  since  the  saintly 
Henry  Martyn  landed  in  India,  the  Christians  of  this 
land  have  now  united  in  the  first  national,  indige- 
nous missionary  movement  of  its  kind  ever  organ- 
ized in  India;  while  the  sessions  of  the  conference 
were  held  in  the  great  library  where  William  Carey 


204  INDIA   AWAKENING 

labored,  the  constitution  of  the  new  society  was 
adopted  in  the  old  pagoda  where  Henry  Martyn 
worked  and  prayed  for  the  evangelization  of  this 
land.  With  Indian  men,  Indian  money,  and  Indian 
management,  the  society  is  controlled  by  a  central 
executive  committee  and  a  national  council  with 
representatives  from  each  presidency.  Founding  no 
new  denomination,  but  preserving  the  strongest  loy- 
alty to  the  Churches,  soliciting  no  funds  outside  of 
India,  but  laying  the  burden  of  India's  evangeliza- 
tion upon  her  own  sons,  we  believe  the  society  is  or- 
ganized on  a  sound  and  safe  basis.  Only  after 
months  of  careful  planning  and  after  securing  the 
approval  of  hundreds  of  representative  Indians  and 
European  missionaries  in  every  part  of  the  Empire 
was  this  important  step  taken.'* 

Work  of  National  Missionary  Society. — To-day 
the  society  has  opened  up  work  in  five  different  mis- 
sions; in  the  Punjab  among  the  Mohammedans;  in 
the  United  Provinces,  where  with  the  mass  move- 
ment at  their  doors  they  are  already  beginning  to 
gather  in  converts;  in  South  India;  in  western  In- 
dia, and  last  a  mission  in  a  native  state  to  provide 
an  outlet  for  the  men  and  money  of  the  ancient  Syr- 
ian Church.  This  Church,  after  sleeping  a  thou- 
sand years,  is  now  being  quickened  with  a  new  mis- 
sionary spirit  and  has  for  the  first  time  sent  out 
foreign  missionaries  of  its  own,  who  will  learn  an- 
other language  and  work  for  the  salvation  of  India. 
The  society  is  conducting  missionary  periodicals  in 
five  different  languages  and  is  doing  much  to  arouse 


REV.    V.    S    AZARIAH 

Secretary  National    Missionary   Society 


THE   WINNING    OF   INDIA  205 

the  missionary  spirit  and  to  unite  the  Indian  Chris- 
tian community.  Though  their  annual  income  at 
present  is  less  than  $3,000,  we  should  not  forget 
that  William  Carey  organized  the  first  English  mis- 
sionary society  with  less  than  $75  in  its  treasury. 

Movement  in  Tinnevelli. — Another  society  is  the 
*'  Indian  Missionary  Society  of  Tinnevelli."  Ke- 
cently  I  visited  this  mission,  and  I  was  surprised  to 
see  what  they  had  accomplished  in  a  few  years. 
They  had  sent  out  seven  missionaries  from  the  Tamil 
to  the  Telugu  country,  and  these  men,  naturally 
gifted  in  language,  are  fluent  in  the  new  tongue 
within  six  months.  They  are  employing  twenty-five 
Telugu  workers.  Two  of  their  missionaries  are 
Brahman  converts,  working  without  salary  and  re- 
ceiving only  their  food  and  clothes.  In  the  last  two 
years  they  have  won  more  than  a  thousand  converts 
and  have  five  hundred  inquirers  waiting  at  their 
door.  These  converts  have  come  from  seven  differ- 
ent castes,  high  and  low ;  and  a  mass  movement  has 
begun  among  the  upper  castes  as  weU  as  the  out- 
castes.  The  income  of  this  society  is  about  $4,000  a 
year;  and  with  less  than  $400  a  month,  they  are 
sustaining  these  seven  missionaries  and  twenty-five 
workers.  I  saw  some  of  these  simple  Christians  with 
bright  faces  and  changed  lives.  There  was  one  wild 
jungle  woman  who,  when  she  came  in  two  years  ago, 
was  unable  to  get  into  her  dull  brain  and  to  repeat 
the  first  sentence  of  the  Lord's  prayer,  after  two 
weeks  of  faithful  teaching ;  and  yet  I  saw  her  now 
able  to  read,  teaching  children  their  Bible,  repeat- 


206  INDIA   AWAKENING 

ing  the  Lord^s  prayer,  the  ten  commandments,  and 
passages  from  the  New  Testament,  not  with  head 
knowledge  only,  but  out  of  a  heart  that  had  been 
softened  and  changed  by  the  truth  which  she  had 
learned.  Though  an  encouraging  beginning  has  been 
made  in  these  infant  societies,  the  Indian  Church  as 
a  whole  is  lacking  in  missionary  spirit  and  in  an  ade- 
quate sense  of  responsibility  to  obey  Christ's  last 
command.  Can  you  help  us  solve  the  problem  of 
awakening  the  Church  at  home  and  abroad  to  the 
missionary  purpose? 

Ultimate  Triumph. — God's  kingdom  is  coming  in 
India.  Success  is  certain,  the  future  is  as  sure  as  the 
rising  of  to-morrow's  sun.  Every  day  of  the  week 
in  which  we  labor  bears  the  name  of  some  ancient 
Norse  god  long  since  forgotten  and  deserted  by  mul- 
titudes of  worshipers  who  turned  to  Christ.  Sunday 
for  the  worship  of  the  sun,  Monday  for  the  moon, 
Tiw,  Woden,  Thor,  Frigga,  and  Saturn,  have  all 
passed  away,  and  to-day  we  are  one  in  Christ.  Some 
of  the  months  of  our  year  record  similar  triumphs. 
Janus  and  Mars  are  no  more.  *'  If  Hathor,  the  cow- 
headed  Egyptian  goddess  has  vanished,  how  will 
Ganesha  the  elephant-headed  god  of  India  remain? 
If  Apis  and  his  bull  are  gone,  who  can  save  Shiva 
and  his  bull  ?  If  Olympian  Zeus  has  gone,  how  shall 
Vishnu  survive?  Will  the  world  give  up  belief  in 
Pallas  Athene  to  hold  by  Kali  ?  If  the  great  gods  of 
Rome  glided  away  into  the  darkness,  when  the  light 
came,  how  can  the  learned  apologies  of  India  retain 
the  million  godlings  of  the  Hindu  pantheon!    India 


THE    WINNING   OF   INDIA 


207 


has  grasped  the  concept  of  the  one  God  who  rules 
all,  and  the  shadowy  reasonings  which  satisfied  the 
ancient  centuries  have  lost  their  power  to  convince. 
Polytheism    and   idolatry   are   vanishing   simulacra 


ONE    OF    THE    **  OCCUPIED  "    FIELDS    OF    INDIA 

This  map  shows  the  villages  in  less  than  one  hundredth  of 
the  area  of  India.  Every  small  spot  represents  a  village  with 
an  average  population  of  363.  There  are  about  1,000  villages 
in  this  area  of  110  miles  square.  The  large  spots  represent 
mission  stations.  The  population  of  this  district  is  estimated 
at  4,000,000  souls,  for  whom  there  are  only  13  mission  centers. 


208  INDIA   AWAKENING 

in  the  mind  of  educated  India."     Christ  shall  yet 
reign  in  India. 

Unoccupied  Fields. — There  remains  much  land  yet 
to  be  possessed  in  India.  In  western  India  there  are 
thirty  taluks  or  districts  containing  over  50,000 
people  each  without  a  single  Christian  or  worker. 
Cutch  with  half  a  million  souls  has  no  missionary. 
In  Bihar,  with  its  twenty-one  millions,  **  quite  half 
the  province  has  never  even  heard  the  sound  of  the 
gospel.''  In  northern  Bengal  there  is  only  one 
missionary  to  every  two  million  of  the  population. 
Imagine  one  minister  for  a  whole  State  or  Province 
in  America  containing  two  millions,  like  Virginia, 
Minnesota,  or  Ontario !  There  are  twenty-eight  sub- 
divisions in  Bengal,  with  an  aggregate  population  of 
about  fourteen  millions,  **  unoccupied  by  any  single 
Protestant  Christian  worker."  Indeed,  forty  mil- 
lions in  Bengal  are  as  yet  unreached  by  the  gospel. 
In  the  United  Provinces  half  of  the  105,000  villages 
have  not  heard  the  Christian  message  of  life  during 
the  past  year.  Numbers  of  native  states  have  never 
yet  been  entered.  Viewing  India  as  a  whole,  the 
neediest  portions  seem  to  be  Bengal,  the  United 
Provinces,  and  the  native  states.  The  62,000,000  Mo- 
hammedans are  largely  untouched  by  Christian  ef- 
fort. In  all  India  over  100,000,000,  or  one  third  of 
the  population,  lie  outside  the  scope  of  Christian  ef- 
fort by  all  existing  agencies.  These  could  be 
reached  in  our  own  day  if  we  were  awake  to  the  full 
implications  of  the  gospel  and  the  condition  of  these 
people. 


THE   WINNING   OF   INDIA  209 

Heroic  Onset  Needed. — In  the  great  mutiny  of 
1857,  General  Nicholson,  veteran  of  four  wars  and  a 
major-general  at  the  age  of  thirty-five,  heard  that 
Delhi  had  fallen  and  pressed  his  troops  to  the  walls 
of  the  city.  He  was  known  as  the  ''Lion  of  the 
Punjab."  As  he  paced  along  that  ridge  where  his 
troops  were  encamped,  and  saw  the  men  surrounded 
by  fetid  pools  of  water,  with  half  of  them  sick  with 
fever  and  some  dying,  though  the  foe  behind  the 
walls  was  many  times  their  number,  he  said,  **  If  we 
remain  in  our  intrenchments  we  are  beaten.  Delhi 
must  be  taken,  and  we  must  advance  at  once.  Bat- 
ter down  that  bastion.  I  am  going  in  to-morrow." 
"With  two  thousand  men  at  his  back  he  broke  across 
that  bullet-swept  plain,  up  through  the  breach  and 
into  the  city.  A  thousand  men  fell  in  the  charge, 
and  he  himself  was  mortally  wounded  by  an  enemy  ^s 
bullet.  But  he  lived  to  see  Delhi  taken  and  India 
saved.  As  our  great  Commander  looks  down  on  the 
vast  Empire  of  India,  and  the  halting  forces  at  the 
home  base,  can  we  not  hear  him  saying,  *'  If  we  re- 
main in  our  intrenchments  we  are  beaten.  India 
must  be  taken,  and  we  must  advance  at  once." 

What  Can  We  Do?— Standing  by  the  little  Lake  of 
Galilee  as  the  morning  was  breaking,  our  Lord  said 
to  Simon  Peter,  ''  Simon,  son  of  John,  lovest  thou 
me?  "  Three  times  he  pressed  the  question  to  try 
his  loyalty,  and  then  trusting  that  the  work  would 
be  done,  he  committed  the  sheep  to  his  care,  and 
went  back  to  heaven,  knowing  that  Simon  would 
feed  his  sheep.    Centuries  have  passed,  but  the  sheep 


210  INDIA   AWAKENING 

still  need  to  be  fed,  and  there  are  many  of  other 
folds  distressed  and  scattered  as  sheep  without  a 
shepherd.  To-day  Christ  stands  before  us,  and  says 
to  you  and  me,  ''  Lovest  thou  me?  '*  What  shall  be 
our  answer?  Let  us  answer  him  truly,  for  love  is 
the  condition  of  service,  and  service  is  the  evidence 
of  love.  How  much  do  you  love  him?  As  much  as 
you  serve  him,  as  much  as  you  give  of  yourself,  your 
substance,  and  your  service,  no  more. 

Need  of  Men. — ''  Lovest  thou  me  enough  to  give 
thyself  f  "  Our  most  urgent  need  to-day  is  for  men 
and  women  who  will  come  out  to  reap  in  these  white 
harvest-fields.  The  work  is  hard.  I  know  of  none 
harder,  but  it  is  a  work  that  angels  might  envy; 
full  of  suffering,  and  brimful  of  joy.  I  remember 
the  night  when  as  a  student  in  America  my  own  life 
turned  in  the  balance  and  I  had  to  count  the  cost. 
It  was  for  me  a  struggle  between  an  ambition  and  a 
mission,  between  silver  and  souls,  between  self  and 
Christ;  but  the  scale  turned  on  the  side  of  Christ, 
and  how  I  thank  God  that  it  did!  I  was  honestly 
afraid  that  I  might  be  wasting  my  life  by  going 
abroad.  I  was  willing  to  pay  any  price,  willing  to 
fall  to  the  ground  and  die,  if  only  I  could  be  sure 
that  there  would  be  much  fruit.  But  I  was  not  wil- 
ling to  throw  my  life  away  gratuitously  from  a  sub- 
jective sense  of  duty  upon  an  unresponsive  people, 
where  one  would  have  nothing  to  show  for  his  life- 
work.  How  I  smile  now  when  I  think  of  that  fear ! 
I  have  been  overburdened  with  the  opportunity  of 
the  work,  crushed  by  the  sense  of  my  own  insuffi- 


THE    WINNING   OF   INDIA  211 

ciency,  humiliated  by  my  own  limitations  and  inade- 
quacy, but  I  have  thanked  God  a  thousand  times 
that  my  lot  has  fallen  in  the  heart  of  such  an  op- 
portunity. If  you  want  a  hard  field,  come  to  In- 
dia. One  thing  I  promise  you.  If  you  are  looking 
for  need,  you  will  never  be  disappointed,  for  it  is  far 
deeper  than  you  ever  dreamed.  No  words  can  tell 
the  deep  need  of  India's  unsatisfied  heart.  These 
people  need  saving,  and  need  saving  now. 

Call  for  Recruits. — God  would  sift  us  as  a  Gideon 
band.  Christ's  appeal  is  to  the  heroic.  As  Dr.  Mott 
says,  '*  Christ  never  hid  his  scars  to  win  a  disciple. 
Rather  he  shows  us  his  hands  and  his  side,  saying, 
*  As  the  Father  hath  sent  me,  so  send  I  you.*  " 

*'The  Son  of  God  goes  forth  to  war, 
A  kingly  crown  to  gain: 
His  blood-red  banner  streams  afar; 
Who  follows  in  his  train?" 

The  need  is  greater  abroad,  the  opportunity  is 
greater.  The  average  foreign  missionary  wins  sev- 
eral times  more  converts  than  the  average  minister 
at  home.  If  you  could  be  used  at  home  you  would 
be  useful  abroad.  The  three  qualifications  needed 
are  good  judgment,  a  measure  of  leadership,  and 
deep  spiritual  life.  If  possible  we  should  have  men 
of  statesmanship,  of  scholarship,  and  of  spirituality. 
Give  us  of  your  best.  The  student  work  is  particu- 
larly difficult,  but  the  masses  of  India  are  simple  and 
responsive.  Men  of  clear  head  and  common  sense 
will  find  large  opportunity  as  station  missionaries, 


212  INDIA   AWAKENING 

and  women  especially  are  needed.  Why  not  give 
God  the  benefit  of  the  doubt?  Would  you  be  willing 
to  go  if  circumstances  permitted  it?  Are  you  wil- 
ling to  face  the  matter  in  prayer  and  find  God's  will 
for  your  life? 

Parental  Spirit  of  Sacrifice. — As  I  went  through 
the  American  colleges  I  found  hundreds  of  young 
men  and  women  turned  back  from  their  life  purpose 
and  forbidden  by  Christian  parents.  Would  you  be 
willing  to  give  up  your  loved  ones  for  this  cause? 
When  the  mother  of  Henry  Lyman  heard  that  he 
had  been  killed  and  eaten  by  cannibals  she  ex- 
claimed, *'  How  can  those  poor  people  live  without 
the  gospel?  Would  that  another  of  my  sons  would 
volunteer  to  go.'*  Would  there  were  more  such 
parents !  We  shall  never  win  the  world  for  Christ 
until  we  carry  our  Christianity  into  the  home,  and 
catch  the  missionary  spirit  in  our  family  life.  We 
must  win  back  for  ourselves  the  missionary  heroism 
of  the  early  centuries.    And  heroism  begins  at  home. 

Need  of  Money. — *'  Lovest  thou  me  enough  to 
give  thy  substance?  "  I  know  of  no  better  place  for 
investment  than  India.  I  know  of  no  outlay  yielding 
larger  returns  than  humanity.  Here  is  an  invest- 
ment **  gilt-edged,"  with  absolute  security  and  cer- 
tain returns.  It  is  backed  by  the  promises  of  God. 
It  yields  a  hundred  fold  in  this  life,  and  in  the  world 
to  come  everlasting  life. 

Great  Investment  Returns. — I  know  of  one  friend 
of  mine  who,  during  the  last  twenty  years  has  in- 
vested about  $100,000  in  a  particular  field  in  India. 


THE   WINNING   OF   INDIA  213 

What  is  there  to  show  for  it?  In  that  district  there 
are  50,000  souls  who  have  been  gathered  out  of  dark- 
ness, degradation,  idolatry,  and  devil-worship,  who 
are  to-day  found  in  Christian  churches  and  schools ; 
members  of  a  growing,  moral  community,  who  have 
been  brought  to  Christ  through  the  gifts  and  prayers 
of  this  one  man  and  the  workers  he  has  sustained. 
He  has  more  converts  in  India  than  I  have  or  ever 
will  have.  He  is  as  much  a  missionary  as  any  who 
is  living  in  India.  You  are  a  missionary.  You  are  a 
witness,  true  or  false,  speaking  or  silent,  generous  or 
selfish;  you  have  the  power  to  give  the  gospel  to  a 
certain  number  of  people  who  are  living  to-day  in 
India  without  hope,  and  without  God.  Do  you  care 
enough  to  try  it? 

Service  of  Small  Gifts. — It  is  not  the  wealthy 
only  who  can  help.  I  know  of  one  poor  girl  who 
has  worked  as  a  stenographer  for  years  in  a  big  city. 
She  offered  to  go  to  the  foreign  field  and  was  re- 
jected on  account  of  her  health.  Since  then  she  has 
been  saving  and  sending  her  money,  supporting  na- 
tive workers  at  $30  each  a  year.  There  is  a  com- 
munity in  North  India  where  there  are  more  than  a 
thousand  souls  that  have  been  brought  to  Christ 
solely  through  native  workers  supported  by  this  one 
frail  girl.  A  thousand  who  have  passed  from  dark- 
ness into  his  marvelous  light,  because  one  girl  cared ! 
How  many  are  in  the  light  because  of  what  you  have 
done? 

Each  One's  Opportunity. — A  student  at  college 
sold  the  gold  case  off  his  watch  and  it  supported  a 


214  INDIA   AWAKENING 

native  worker  for  nearly  two  years.  The  first  year 
that  man  won  a  hundred  and  twenty-seven  souls  to' 
Christ.  By  this  time  the  number  has  largely  grown. 
There  are  talents  perhaps  in  your  life  unused,  treas- 
ure hidden  in  a  napkin,  money  hoarded  that  could  ^ 
be  released  for  service  for  the  uplift  of  humanity. 
Even  the  little  you  have  could  be  converted  into  the 
enlightening  of  womanhood,  the  redeeming  of  child- 
hood, the  liberation  of  manhood.  There  are  men 
and  women  living  now  in  India  in  idolatry  and  devil- 
worship  who  would  be  within  the  fold  of  Christ 
within  five  years  if  your  life  were  fully  consecrated 
to  God. 

Give  in  Regular  Channels. — Nowhere  will  money 
do  more  for  the  kingdom.  Twelve  dollars  supports 
a  boy  or  girl  in  boarding-school  for  a  year.  Twenty 
dollars  will  send  a  student  to  the  high  school. 
Thirty  dollars  a  year  supports  an  Indian  worker. 
Every  dollar  counts.  Let  it  not  be  understood  that 
we  are  urging  that  money  should  be  given  for  such 
**  special  ''  objects.  If  everybody  wanted  a  special 
native  worker,  with  photographs  and  letters  from 
the  field,  the  missionary  would  have  no  time  left  to 
reach  the  people,  and  the  mission  boards  would  be 
swamped  by  the  administration  of  small  sums  for 
special  objects  which  would  greatly  increase  their 
expense.  It  is  far  better  to  give  to  the  board  and 
trust  God  to  use  the  money  for  the  best.  By  all 
means  give  to  your  own  board  and  give  in  the  meth- 
ods recommended  by  your  own  society.  I  am  only 
pointing  out  how  every  dollar  counts.     It  will  ac- 


THE    WINNING    OF   INDIA  215 

complish  just  as  much  whether  you  know  it  or  not. 
Every  Dollar  Counts. — The  need  is  very  great.  I 
remember  recently  I  was  paying  off  my  Indian  fel- 
low workers.  After  deducting  from  one  man's  sal- 
ary for  his  boy  in  the  high  school,  his  girl  in  the 
boarding-school,  another  boy  in  the  primary  school, 
the  tenth  that  he  was  giving  to  the  Lord,  and  a  few 
other  things,  there  was  left  out  of  his  salary,  as  the 
amount  upon  which  he  had  to  live  with  his  family 
for  a  month,  one  dollar  in  cash,  which  I  paid  him — 
with  a  blush!  There  was  not  a  murmur  or  com- 
plaint, but  I  felt  uneasy.  I  called  him  privately  and 
said,  **  Would  you  mind  telling  me  how  you  are 
going  to  live  this  month  on  three  rupees  (one  dol- 
lar) ?  "  He  replied,  **  Nobody  can  live  on  that 
amount."  ''  What  then  are  you  going  to  do?  "  I 
asked.  "  Oh,  I  will  just  borrow  a  little  more,  and 
add  it  to  my  debt,''  he  said.  ''  But  do  you  not  know 
that  it  is  wrong  to  go  into  debt?  Have  I  not 
preached  against  it?  '^  I  asked.  ''  Yes,"  he  replied, 
*'  I  suppose  that  is  so,  but  the  way  of  it  was  this. 
The  last  missionary,  your  predecessor,  called  me 
one  day,  and  said,  '  There  has  been  another  reduc- 
tion from  the  mission  board  which  calls  for  re- 
trenchment. I  am  very  sorry  but  you  will  have  to 
go,  as  I  will  have  no  money  left.  You  were  educated 
before  these  younger  men  with  their  modern  meth- 
ods and  I  fear  I  can  no  longer  pay  you  any  salary.' 
Well,  I  worked  along  as  best  I  could  for  two  years 
preaching  without  any  salary  and  working  when  I 
could  get  anything  to  do,  but  there  was  little  work 


216  INDIA   AWAKENING 

to  be  had.    We  had  to  live  and  my  debt  rose  and 

rose  and  rose  till  it  reached '*  and  here  he  named 

a  sum  which  seemed  mountain-high  to  him,  but 
which  was  less  than  fifty  dollars.  **  Now,"  he 
continued,  *^  you  have  given  me  three  rupees  (one 
doUar).  "With  the  most  careful  economy  it  will  take 
twice  that  amount  to  keep  my  family  alive  this 
month.  (He  did  not  aspire  to  rice  or  meat  or  ex- 
pensive living.  The  cheapest  grains,  such  as  we 
would  use  for  chicken  or  horse  food,  would  be  all 
that  he  would  ask.)  But,  sir,"  he  said,  *'do  not 
think  that  I  am  complaining.  We  are  so  grateful  to 
have  work  at  all  now."  He  might  be  grateful,  but 
I  was  not ;  and  I  could  not  be  party  to  such  a  crime. 
I  found  his  wife  was  a  bright,  intelligent  woman 
and  gave  her  work  in  the  school  on  a  salary  of  two 
dollars  a  month.  With  that  increased  income,  his 
debt  began  to  go  down.  Finally  he  came  in  one  day 
with  shining  face  and  said,  "  The  debt  is  all  paid, 
and  we  are  so  grateful  to  you,  sir,  for  giving  that 
extra  work  to  my  wife." 

Home  "  Firing  Line." — This  man  is  only  one 
among  an  army  of  35,000  workers  in  India,  most  of 
whom  are  faithful  men  underpaid.  Perhaps  you 
will  say,  **  Why  not  have  fewer  and  better  paid 
workers?  "  That  would  only  mean  fewer  villages 
served  by  the  Church.  It  would  mean  turning 
back  and  refusing  to  receive  many  who  are  asking 
to  come  in,  in  some  sections.  No,  the  financial  prob- 
lem can  only  be  solved  by  you  at  the  home  base. 
You  are  **  on  the  firing  line  "  in  this  matter,  not  we. 


THE    WINNING    OF    INDIA  217 

I  suppose  it  is  Utopian  and  impracticable,  but  I 
would  like  to  see  the  scale  of  wages  raised  all  along 
the  line,  by  about  a  dollar  a  month ;  but  alas,  that  is 
out  of  the  question.  We  have  not  money  enough  to 
hold  our  own  and  enter  the  wide  open  doors  of  op- 
portunity in  the  mass  movements  which  are  all 
about  us.  Have  you  ever  faced  the  question  of  your 
stewardship,  and  found  the  joy  of  real  sacrifice  in 
giving?  The  Corinthians  gave  even  beyond  their 
power.  ^'  But  first  they  gave  their  own  selves  to 
the  Lord."    Have  you? 

Need  of  Service  and  Prayer. — *'  Lovest  thou  me 
enough  to  give  thy  service?  "  All  cannot  go  abroad 
and  all  cannot  give  large  sums  of  money,  but  each 
one  has  a  life  to  live,  and  time  with  which  to  serve. 
Each  one  of  us  is  a  member  of  a  community  and  of 
a  family.  What  could  you  accomplish  in  your 
church  if  you  were  on  fire  for  missions  ?  I  have  seen 
one  little  white,  wooden  church,  with  green  blinds, 
that  has  sent  out  fifty  of  its  members  to  the  foreign 
field.  Why  should  not  yours  become  a  missionary 
church?  You  are  a  member  of  a  young  people's  so- 
ciety. What  is  it  doing  for  missions?  One  society  is 
being  enriched  by  the  care  of  a  station  on  the  other 
side  of  the  world.  Perhaps  you  teach  in  a  Sunday- 
school.  I  know  of  one  class  of  boys  in  my  own 
church  that  raised  a  hundred  dollars  for  missions. 
They  are  supporting  some  boys  out  in  India,  and  the 
letters  they  receive  about  these  boys,  some  of  whom 
are  being  persecuted  for  Christ,  will  have  an  influ- 
ence on  that  class  for  good.     One  faithful  Sunday- 


218  INDIA   AWAKENING 

school  teacher  raised  up  by  her  prayer  and  mis- 
sionary spirit  one  of  the  greatest  of  modern  mis- 
sionaries. Has  your  class  caught  the  missionary 
spirit  ? 

What  Is  Worth  While. — And  are  you  wielding  the 
power  of  prayer  for  missions?  What  did  our  Lord 
mean  w^hen  he  said,  "  Pray  ye  therefore  the  Lord 
of  the  harvest  that  he  send  forth  laborers  into  his 
harvest."  It  was  in  prayer  in  that  upper  room  that 
Pentecost  was  received,  in  prayer  that  workers  were 
chosen,  obstacles  overcome,  and  victory  won.  In 
prayer  every  great  movement  of  modern  missions 
was  founded  and  every  great  revival  begun.  Re- 
member Henry  Martyn  praying  with  tears  for  the 
multitudes  in  India  as  he  cried,  ''  Now  let  me  burn 
out  for  God.'*  '^  Prayer  opens  up  a  whole  planet  to 
a  man's  activities,"  and  *'  he  who  prays  most  helps 
most."  Prayer  is  the  mighty  leverage  by  which  we 
may  lift  these  people  out  of  darkness  and  slavery 
into  the  light  and  liberty  of  the  sons  ot  God.  Are 
we  wielding  that  power?  Amid  all  the  vanities  and 
frivolities  of  life,  in  the  midst  of  all  the  doubts  and 
questionings  that  beset  us,  amid  all  the  wasted  time 
and  talents  of  life's  little  day,  what  else  is  more 
worth  while  than  this  investment  of  life  for  the  up- 
lift of  humanity?  If  there  be  any  virtue,  and  if 
there  be  any  praise,  let  us  give  ourselves  to  this 
great  cause  saying,  "  This  one  thing  I  do." 

The  Test  of  Love. — Ere  you  close  the  book  think 
out  over  those  villages  in  India  and  those  multi- 
.tudes  without  Christ.    Look  again  into  the  Master's 


THE   WINNING   OF   INDIA  219 

face  as  he  asks  you  the  searching  question,  thrice 
repeated,  **  Lovest  thou  me?  "  *'  Lovest  thou  me?'* 
**  Lovest  thou  me?"  And  if  you  can  answer  hon- 
estly, ''  Lord,  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee,"  hear 
his  words  as  he  points  to  India  with  the  command, 
^'Feed  my  Sheep." 


QUESTIONS  AND  REFERENCES 


QUESTIONS  AND  EEFERENCES 

SUGGESTIONS  FOB  USING  THE  QUESTIONS 

This  statement  should  be  read  carefully  before  taking  up 
the  questions. 

The  purpose  of  these  questions  is  not  merely  to  review  the 
text,  but  to  promote  independent  thought  and  discussion.  Re- 
view questions,  appealing  merely  to  memory,  are  of  value  only 
as  preliminary  to  discussion,  and  can  be  easily  framed  by  any 
person  of  average  intelligence.  The  questions  given  below  de- 
mand the  exercise  of  individual  judgment,  as  well  as  knowledge 
of  the  text;  in  a  few  cases,  the  text  will  be  found  of  no  aid 
whatever.  The  first  few  questions  on  each  chapter  attempt  to 
connect  the  principal  problems  with  some  matter  of  familiar 
experience. 

It  is  not  supposed  that  the  average  student  will  be  able  to 
answer  all  these  questions  satisfactorily,  or  that  all  students 
will  agree  in  their  conclusions.  It  is  intended,  rather,  that 
students  shall  come  to  the  class  session  with  questions  unan- 
swered and  opinions  sometimes  in  opposition,  so  that  there 
may  be  a  real  basis  for  discussion.  It  has  been  thought 
worth  while  to  include  a  few  problems  on  which  even  great 
thinkers  have  not  yet  come  to   agreement. 

Some  of  these  questions  may  be  specially  indicated  by  the 
leader  for  discussion  at  the  following  session.  In  no  case  will 
it  be  advisable  to  try  to  cover  the  entire  list.  Concentration 
on  a  few  well-adapted  questions  is  better  than  a  hurried  re- 
view of  all.  Circumstances  vrill  determine  the  selection  for  each 
class.  For  some,  the  main  value  of  the  questions  will  be  to 
suggest  others  that  are  better.  An  asterisk  indicates  ques- 
tions that  will  hardly  be  appreciated  without  discussion. 

In  working  out  the  questions  the  free  use  of  pencil  and 
paper  is  recommended.  Ideas  which  are  the  result  of  reflec- 
tion should  be  jotted  down,  and  pertinent  passages  in  the 
text  once  more  consulted  for  further  light.  The  mere  attempt 
to  formulate  usually  helps  to  stir  up  new  ideas  that  would 
not  otherwise  arise.  All  this  tends  to  give  an  appetite  for 
the  class  session. 

223 


224  INDIA   AWAKENING 

QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  I 
Aim:     To  Appreciate  the  Social  Needs  of  India 

1.  Name  the  various  qualities  which  render  persons  unde- 
sirable as  immigrants. 

2.  In  what   does  the   danger   consist  in  the   unrestricted 
admission  of  immigrants? 

3.  What  qualities  have  the  masses  of  the  people  in  India 
that  would  render  them  undesirable  immigrants? 

4.*  To  what  extent  would  the  present  agencies  in  this  coun- 
try be  adequate  to  deal  with  the  population  of  India 

if  it  should  suddenly  immigrate  here? 
5.*  How  do  our  resources  compare  with  those  of  India  for 

uplifting  the   masses? 
6.*  List  in  order  of  their  relative  importance  the  agencies, 

physical,  economic,  social,  and  religious,  which  bind  ua 

together  as  a  nation. 
7.*  How  many  of  these  agencies  are  altogether  or  in  great 

part  lacking  in  India? 
8.*  Judging  from  what  you  know  of  race  problems,  what 

recommendations  would  you  make  for  dealing  with  the 

race  problems  of  India? 
9.     Name  several  ways  in  which  the  presence   of  such   a 

variety  of  languages  complicates  the  question  of  social 

uplift. 
10.*  Name  several  educational  recommendations  you  would 

make,  in  view  of  the  prevailing  illiteracy. 
11.*  To  what  extent  is  custom  a  necessity  for  society? 

12.  Name  what  you  consider  necessary  customs  in  your  own 
community. 

13.  To  what  extent  are  parents  justified  in  requiring  their 
children  to  conform  to  the  customs  of  society? 

14.*  When  does  custom  become  an  evil? 

15.  What  principles  would  you  lay  down  in  teaching  chil- 
dren to  violate  custom? 

16.  To  what  extent  should  the  freedom  of  any  individual 
from  restraint  depend  upon  his  intelligence  and  mo- 
rality? 

17.  How  can  those  with  undeveloped  intelligence  and  moral- 
ity best  be  controlled? 

18.*  What  are  the  principal  evils  of  caste? 

19.  To  what  extent  is  caste  a  result  of  the  undeveloped 
intelligence  and  morality  of  the  masses  of  India? 

20.  To  what  extent  is  it  a  cause? 


QUESTIONS    AND    EEFERENCES  225 

21.*  If  caste  could  be  utterly  abolished  by  law  to-day,  do 
you  think  such  a  law  should  be  passed?  Give  reasons 
for  your  view. 

22.  Would  it  be  an  advantage  or  a  disadvantage  to  have 
caste  destroyed  by  mere  growth  of  self-interest  and 
personal  ambition? 

23.  In  what  ways  does  caste  interfere  vyith  economic  prog- 
ress? 

24.  In  what  ways  would  our  present  industrial  competitive 
system  be  an  advantage  or  a  disadvantage  to  India? 

25.*  Why  is  not  liberty  and  equality  suflScient  without  fra- 
ternity ? 

26.  In  what  ways  does  the  caste  system  differ  from  your 
idea  of  true  fraternity? 

27.*  What  is  the  message  of  Christianity  to  a  community 
where  individuality  is  not  sufficiently  developed? 

88.  Quote  passages  of  Scripture  which  illustrate  this  mes- 
sage. 

29.*  What  is  the  message  of  Christianity  to  a  people  whose 
liberty  is  developed  at  the  expense  of  fraternity? 

80.     Quote  passages  of  Scripture  to  illustrate  this  message. 

31.  Why  will  Christianity  be  the  only  satisfactory  solution 
of  caste? 

32.  How  would  you  present  Christianity  to  a  member  of  a 
lower  caste  in  order  to  make  it  attractive? 

33.  How  would  you  present  Christianity  to  a  member  of  a 
higher  caste? 

EEFEEENCES  FOR  ADVANCED  STUDY 
CHAPTER  I 
JAfe  of  the  People. 

Beach,  India  and  Christian  Opportunity,  HI. 
Compton,  Indian  Life  in  Town  and  Country,  III,  X. 
Datta,  The  Desire  of  India,  II. 
Eraser,  Among  Indian  Rajahs  and  Ryots,  VII. 
Jones,  India's  Problem:     Krishna  or  Christ,  I. 
Townsend,  Asia  and  Europe,  passim. 

Home  Life. 

Compton,  Indian  Life  in  Town  and  Country,  IX. 
Jones,  India,  Its  Life  and  Thought,  IX. 

Moral  Tone. 

Wilkins,  Modern  Hinduism,  Part  VI. 
*'The   Moral  Tone  of  India,''  The  East  and  the  West, 
April,  1903. 


226  INDIA   AWAKENING 

''Tendencies  of  Hinduism/'  The  East  and  the  West,  Oc- 
tober, 1904. 

Economic  Conditions. 

Chirol,  Indian  Unrest,  XXII,  XXIII.     • 

Denning,  Mosaics  from  India,  XI. 

Eraser,  Among  Indian  Bajahs  and  Byots,  XIV,  XV. 

Caste, 

Compton,  Indian  Life  in  Town  and  Country,  II. 

Denning,  Mosaics  from  India,  XV,  XVI. 

Jones,  India,  Its  Life  and  Thought,  IV,  V. 

Lyall,   Asiatic   Studies,   Eirst    Series,   VI    (Eormation   of 

caste). 
Mylne,  Missions  to  Hindus,  Part  I,  chs.  I,  IV- VII    (Ee- 

lation  to   character). 
Eichter,    History    of    Protestant    Missions    in    India,    pp. 

17-23,  255-262. 
Wilkins,  Modern  Hinduism,  Part  III. 
Williams,  Brahmanism  and  Hinduism,  XVIII. 


QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTEE  II 
Aim  :  To  Appreciate  the  Eeligious  Needs  of  Hinduism. 

1.  In  what  ways  do  you  think  the  religiousness  of  Hindus 
would  be  a  help  to  the  Christian  missionary,  and  in 
what  ways  a  hindrance? 

2.  What  things  in  Hinduism  indicate  a  desire  for  a  divine 
unity  ? 

3.  What  things  show  a  desire  for  salvation? 

4.  How  does  karma  show  a  distinction  between  good  and 
evil? 

5.  What  things  show  the  spiritual  side  of  Hinduism? 

6.  What  things  show  a  desire  for  a  personal  God? 

7.*  How  does  the  Hindu  idea  of  the  unity  of  God  differ 
from  the  Christian  idea? 

8.*  How  does  the  idea  of  salvation  differ  from  the  Chris- 
tian idea? 

9.     In  what  ways  do  the  practical  standards  of  good  and 

evil  differ?  « 

10.*  How  does  Hindu  spirituality  differ  from  Christian  spir- 
ituality? 
11.     In  what  ways  do  the  Hindu  personal  gods  differ  from 
the  God  and  Eather  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ? 


QUESTIONS   AND    EEFERENCES  227 

12.  What  elements  of  the  Christian  message  would  you 
most  emphasize  in  dealing  with  an  animist?  Nam© 
Scripture  passages  that  you  think  would  be  useful. 

13.  What  elements  would  you  most  emphasize  in  dealing 
with  a  Hindu  ritualist?  What  Scripture  passages  would 
you   quote? 

14.  What  are  the  best  aspects  of  a  belief  in  pantheism? 

15.  What  would  be  the  practical  effects  of  a  denial  of  sepa- 
rate human  personalities? 

16.*  What  is  the  difference  between  the  Hindu  denial  of 
separate  personality  and  Christian  self-denial? 

17.*  How  would  pantheism  affect  tka  sense  of  one's  rela- 
tionship to  God? 

18.  What  will  be  the  influence  of  a  God  who  requires  de- 
votion but  is  indifferent  to  good  and  evil? 

19.*  In  what  ways  does  the  Christian  belief  in  the  transi- 
toriness  of  this  world  differ  from  maya? 

20.*  Where  is  the  good  and  evil  of  the  doctrine  of  karma  f 

21.  What  perversions  of  Christian  belief  have  you  known 
that  approach  those  of  pantheism? 

22.  What  should  be  the  attitude  of  the  missionary  toward 
the  reform  movement  of  Hinduism? 

23.*  Sum  up  the  main  blessings  of  Christian  belief  which 
Hinduism  lacks, 

24.*  How  much  effort  is  it  worth  that  over  200,000,000  per- 
sons should  share  these  blessings  with  you? 


REFERENCES  FOR  ADVANCBI>  STUDY 

CHAPTER  II 
General  Sketches. 

Beach,  India  and  Christian  Opportunity,  IV. 

Datta,  The  Desire  of  India,  III. 

Richter,  History  of  Protestant  Missions  in  India,  IV, 

Lower  Side  and  Popular  Worship. 

Jones,  India,  Its  Life  and  Thought,  VII. 
Lyall,  Asiatic  Studies,  First  Series,  I,  III. 
Williams,  Brahmanism  and  Hinduism,  VIII-XVIL 

Leading  Ideas  of  Hinduism. 

Hume,  Missions  from  the  Modern  Viewpoint,  II,  V. 
Jones,  India,  Its  Life  and  Thought,  VI,  VIII. 
Jones,  India's  Problem:   Krishna  or  Christ,  IIL 
Lucas,  Christ  for  India,  III. 
Lucas,  The  Empire  of  Christ,  III,  IV. 


228  INDIA   AWAKENING 

Morrison,  New  Ideas  in  India,  XVII-XX. 
Slater,  Higher  Hinduism  in  Relation  to  Oiiristianity,  pas- 
sim. 
Eeport  of  Edinburgh  Missionary  Conference,  Vol.  IV,  ch. 

VI. 
** Hindu  Eeligious  Ideals,'*  The  East  and  the  West,  April, 

1904. 
''Tendencies  of  Modern   Hinduism,''  The  East   and  the 

West,  April,  1905. 
"Transmigration,"  The  East  and  the  West,  July,  1906. 
"Paganism,  Hinduism,   and  Christianity  in   India,"   The 

East  and  the  West,  October,  1906. 
"Missions    and    Modern   Hinduism,"    The   East    and   the 

West,  January,  1907. 
"Is   Hinduism   Conducive  to    Unworldliness ? "   The   East 

and  the  West,  April,  1907. 
"Thoughts  on  Transmigration,"  The  East  and  the  West, 

January,   1911. 
"Is    Hinduism  Pantheistic?"    The   East   and   the   West, 

April,   1911. 

'Sectarian  EinduisTn. 

Wilkins,  Modern  Hinduism,  Part  11. 
Williams,  Brahmanism  and  Hinduism,  III- VII. 
"Two   Cults  of  Popular  Hinduism,"  The  East  and   the 
West,  April,  1911. 

Influence  of  Christianity  and  Its  Presentation. 
Montgomery,  Mankind  and  the  Church,  VI. 
Morrison,  New  Ideas  in  India,  XIII-XV. 
Robinson,   The  Interpretation   of  Christ  to  Non-Christian 

Races,   II. 
Report  of  Edinburgh  Missionary  Conference,  Vol.  IV^  pp. 

244-267. 
"Attitude  of  Educated  Hindus  toward  Christianity,"  The 

East  and  the  West,  July,  1903. 
"Presentation   of   Christ  to  the  Hindus,"  The  East  and 

the  West,  July,    1910. 
Translation   of    the    Bhagavad   Gita,    in   Temple   Classics, 

Dutton  &  Co.,  45  cents. 

QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  III 

IA.IM:  To  Appreciate   the  Problems   of  the  Present  Na- 
tional Awakening 

1.*  What  are  the  rarious  bonds  that  have  been  most  effec- 
tive in  uniting  nations  politically? 


QUESTIONS    AND    BEFERENCES  229 

2.  Which  of  these  bonds  have  been  most  effective  in  unit- 
ing different  races  and  languages  into  a  nation? 

3.*  Is  it  easier  or  harder  to  control  masses  with  diverse 
interests  after  they  have  received  some  education? 

4.  What  is  the  effect  upon  the  masses  of  training  them 
for    economic   competition? 

5.  What  is  it  that  causes  young  people  in  their  teens  to 
desire  greater  freedom  from  parental  restraint? 

6.  Do  such  young  people  usually  govern  themselves  as 
wisely    as   their   parents    could   govern    them? 

7.  In  this  demand  for  independence  of  itself  a  hopeful 
or  a  sinister  indication? 

8.  What  do  you  consider  the  wise  attitude  for  a  parent 
to  take   toward   this   demand? 

9.  What  extremes  of  attitude  in  either  direction  do  you 
consider   to   be   unwise? 

10.  How  does  this  bear  upon  the  present  desire  for  greater 
independence  in  India? 

11.  How  much  of  the  Indian  desire  for  self-government 
do  you  consider  to  be  legitimate  and  wise? 

12.*  What  conditions  must  people  fulfil  in  order  to  govern 

themselves  successfully? 
13.*  By  what  means  do  you  think  these  conditions  could  be 

best  secured  in  India? 
14.     Has  Christianity  any  right  to  concern  itself  with  such 

matters    as    self-government? 
15.*  Can   you   quote   any   Scripture   passages   to   show   that 

Christianity   must    concern   itself   with   the   welfare   of 

society  as  a  whole? 

16.  What  mistake  did  the  Christian  Church  make  at  the 
time  of  the  French  Revolution? 

17.  With  how  much  of  the  present  desires  of  India  has  the 
Christian  Church  a  right  to  express  sympathy? 

18.  In  what  ways  do  you  think  this  sympathy  can  best  be 
expressed? 

19.*  What  will  be  the  probable  result  if  the  Church  remains 
indifferent  or  hostile  to  these  desires? 

20.  What  would  be  the  effect  upon  any  Church  in  this  coun- 
try if  it  should  be  indifferent  or  hostile  to  the  legitimate 
political  ideals  of  the  nation? 

21.  In  what  ways  is  Christianity  much  more  in  line  with 
India's  present  political  ideals  than  are  her  old  re- 
ligions ? 

22.  In  what  ways  can  the  Christian  Church  help  in  India's 
industrial    devel  opment  ? 

23.  How  can  it  help  in  social  reform? 


230  INDIA   AWAKENING 

24.  In  what  ways  can  Christian  education  take  advantage 
of  the  present  unrest  in  India? 

25.  Name  a  number  of  precautions  that  you  would,  take  in 
urging  reform  in  order  to  avoid  antagonizing  national 
feeling. 

26.  What  would  be  the  danger  of  neglecting  these  precau- 
tions? 

27.*  What  would  be   the   principal   dangers   if   Christianity 

fails  to  improve  the  present  situation? 
28.*  What    are    the    principal    possibilities    if    Christianity 

makes  the  most  of  the  situation? 


EEFEEENCES  FOR  ADVANCED  STUDY 
CHAPTER  III 

The  Present  Awakening  and  Unrest. 

Andrews,  North  India,  XI. 

Chirol,  Indian  Unrest,  passim. 

Eraser,  Among  Indian  Eajahs  and  Ryots,  XX-XXIII. 

Jones,  India:     Its  Life  and  Thought,  I. 

Morrison,  New  Ideas  in  India,  I-IV,  VII-VIII. 

Townsend,  Asia  and  Europe,  '*  Influence  of  Europe  on 
Asia,"  ''Will  England  Retain  India?",  etc. 

**  Effect  of  the  Japanese  Victories  Upon  India,"  The 
East  and  the  West,  October,  1905. 

*< Situation  in  the  East,"  The  East  and  the  West,  Octo- 
ber, 1907. 

** Unrest  in  India,"  The  East  and  the  West,  January, 
1908. 

*'  Christian  Missions  and  Social  Reform  in  India,"  The 
East  and  the  West,  October,  1910. 

**The  New  Movement  in  India  and  the  Old  Gospel,"  The 
East  and  the  West,  January,  1911. 

Beflex  Beligious  Movements. 

Jones,  India,  Its  Life  and  Thought,  XIII. 

Richter,  History  of  Protestant  Missions  in  India,  VI. 

Government  Policy  of  Neutrality. 

Lyall,  Asiatic  Studies,  First  Series,  VIII. 


QUESTIONS    AND    EEPERENCES  231 


QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  IV 

Aim:  To  Appreciate  the  Present  Opportunity  Among  the 
Low  Castes  in  India 

1.  How  would  you  impress  upon  a  young  person  the  im- 
portance of   avoiding  evil  companions? 

2.  Why  is  it  important  that  unclean  literature  and  pictures 
should  be  suppressed  by  law? 

3.  Is  it  justifiable  to  suppress  by  law  other  social  condi- 
tions that  may  lead  young  people  astray? 

4.  How  important  do  you  consider  it  to  provide  wholesome 
social  recreation  for  young  people  who  would  not  other- 
wise have  it? 

5.*  What  is  the  relative  duty  of  the  Church  to  the  indi- 
vidual and  to  the  surroundings  in  which  he  lives? 

6.*  Has  Christianity  any  message  for  whole  communities 
as  well  as  for  individuals? 

7.  How  important  do  you  consider  it  to  be  to  remove 
demoralizing  surroundings  from  children  and  young 
people  for  whom  you  are  responsible? 

8.  Should  not  the  grace  of  God  be  sufficient  to  enable  any 
Christian  to   overcome  his  surroundings,   however   evil  I 

9.*  Will  as  strong  types  of  Christian  character  develop  in 
communities  where  all  profess  Christianity  as  in  those 
in  which  there  is  hostility? 

10.  In  which  of  these  two  types  of  communities  in  this 
country  would  you  prefer  to  have  your  children  live? 

11.  Is  there  likely  to  be  any  depth  of  personal  convictions 
among  those  who  become  Christians  in  a  mass  move- 
ment? 

12.  Would  you  encourage  a  young  person  to  join  the 
Church  in  this  country  who  indicated  no  depth  of  per- 
sonal convictions? 

13.*  Is  there  any  reason  why  standards  of  admission  to  the 
Church  should  differ  in  this  country  and  in  India? 

14.  Give  the  argument  for  low  standards  of  admission  for 
an  Indian  mass  movement. 

15.  Give  the  arguments  for  making  standards  of  admission 
strict. 

16.  What  were  the  standards  which  Christ  laid  down  for 
those  who  wish  to  become  his  disciples? 

17.  Give  examples  of  strict  testing  on  his  part. 

18.  How  do  you  reconcile  this  with  his  welcome  to  all  who 
are  heavy  laden? 


232  INDIA   AWAKENING 

19.*  Give  rules  for  dealing  with  a  mass  movement  that 
promise  to  avoid  the  dangers  on  both  sides. 

20.*  Would  you  attempt  to  change  the  social  customs  of 
those  involved  in  a  mass  movement  as  much  or  as  little 
as  possible?     Give  reasons  for  your  view. 

21.  How  would  you  endeavor  to  develop  a  strong  and  self- 
sacrificing  type  of  Christian  character  among  members 
of  a  mass  movement? 

22.*  How  would  you  take  advantage  of  opportunities  offered 
by  a  mass  movement  that  are  not  offered  in  cases  of 
individual  conversion? 

23.*  Sum  up  in  the  strongest  possible  way  the  responsibility 
laid   upon  the   Christian   Church   by   the  present 
movements  in  India. 


EEFEEENCES  FOR  ADVANCED  STUDY 

CHAPTER  IV 

Mass  Movements. 

Lucas,  The  Empire  of  Christ,  V. 

"Christian  Village  Settlements  in  the  Punjab,''  The  East 
and  the  West,  January,  1905. 

"Mass  Movements  on  the  Mission  Field,"  The  East  and 
the  West,  January,  1906. 

"Paganism,  Hinduism,  and  Christianity  in  India,"  The 
East  and  the  West,  October,  1906. 

*  *  Progress  of  Christianity  in  India  and  Mission  Strategy, ' ' 
The  East  and  the  West,  January,  1907. 

"Influence  of  the  Conversion  of  Outcastes, "  The  East 
and  the  West,  October,  1910,  p.  462. 

"Phases  of  Mass  Movements  in  India,"  Missionary  Re- 
view of  the  World,  July,  1908. 


QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  V 

Aim:  To  Appreciate  the  Impoetance  of  Work  Among  the 
Students  in  India 

1.  Give  several  reasons  why  the  period  of  student  life  in 
this  country  is  a  dangerous  one. 

2.  Give  several  reasons  why  it  is  a  hopeful  one. 

3.  What  general  lines  should  be  followed  to  avoid  the 
dangers  and  develop  the  best  possibilities  of  this 
period? 


QUESTIONS    AND   EEFEEENCES  233 

4.  What  is  the  relative  importance  of  the  home,  the  school, 
and  the  church  in  developing  Christian  character  in  our 
students? 

5.*  Compare  the  contribution  of  the  Hindu  home  and  re- 
ligion with  that  of  the  Christian  home  and  church  in 
the  formation  of  character. 

6.  How  do  the  Hindu  home  and  religion  compare  with 
the  Indian  school  as  furnishing  opportunities  for  con- 
tact with  young  people? 

7.*  How  much  stronger  appeal  for  Christian  influences  do 
you  consider  is  made  by  the  college  in  India  than  by 
one  in  this  country? 

8.  In  what  ways  is  the  student  field  the  most  strategic  in 
India  as  far  as  the  period  of  life  is  concerned? 

9.  How  does  the  student  compare  with  other  periods  of 
life  in  the  opportunity  which  it  offers  for  counteracting 
evil  home  influences? 

10.  How  does  it  compare  with  other  periods  as  to  intellec- 
tual accessibility? 

11.  How  does  it  compare  in  its  freedom  from  the  influences 
of  Hindu  social  life? 

12.  What  advantages  as  to  points  of  contact  have  we  with 
students  in  India  as  compared  with  ignorant  villagers, 
women,  and  uneducated  adults? 

13.  In  what  ways  does  the  Indian  student  convert  promise 
greater  usefulness  than  converts  drawn  from  other 
classes? 

14.  What  conditions  in  Indian  society,  past  and  present, 
give  the  educated  class  a  special  influence? 

15.*  Give  reasons  for  the  importance  of  each  of  the  three 
great  aims  of  Christian  education  in  India. 

16.  Name  methods  that  you  think  should  be  adopted  in 
order  to  realize  the  first  aim. 

17.  Name  methods  that  you  think  should  be  adopted  in  or- 
der  to    realize  the   second   aim. 

18.  Name  methods  that  you  think  should  be  adopted  in 
order  to   realize  the  third  aim. 

19.*  What  are  the  characteristic  advantages  of  the  educa- 
tional over  other  forms  of  missionary  work? 

20.  Would  the  maintenance  of  a  Christian  school  be  justi- 
fied if  the  reports  for  a  series  of  years  showed  no  stu- 
dent conversions? 

21.  Would  the  maintenance  of  a  Christian  school  be  justi- 
fied where  only  a  small  proportion  of  the  students  were 
Christians  and  no  conversions  resulted? 

22.  What    are    the    respective    arguments    for    maintaining 


234  INDIA   AWAKENING 

Christian  colleges  as  opposed  to  dormitories  under  Chris- 
tian influences  in  government  colleges? 
23.*  Sum   up    the    claims   of   work   for   Indian   students    on 
those  who  have  life,  or  money,  or  prayer  to  invest. 


REFERENCES  FOR  ADVANCED  STUDY 

CHAPTER  V 

Education  in  India. 

Alston,  Education  and  Citizenship  in  India. 

Chirol,  Indian  Unrest,  XVII-XXI. 

Fraser,  Among  Indian  Rajahs  and  Ryots,  XVIII. 

Miller,  Unrest  and  Education  in  India.  (Reply  to  pre- 
ceding.) 

Report  of  Edinburgh  Missionary  Conference,  Vol.  Ill,  ch. 
n,  pp.  256-266. 

Report  of  Madras  Decennial  Conference  of  1902,  pp.  83-96. 

*' Mission  Work  Among  the  Educated  Classes  in  India,'' 
The  East  and  the  West,  January,  1907. 

*' Effect  of  Educational  Work  by  Missionaries,"  The 
East  and  the  West,  October,  1907. 

''Education  in  India,"  The  East  and  the  West,  Janu- 
ary, 1908. 

*'  Mission  Hostels  in  India,"  The  East  and  the  West, 
July,   1908. 

' '  School  Life  in  Kashmir, ' '  The  East  and  the  West,  April, 
1909. 

' ' Unspiritual  Work,"  The  East  and  the  West,  October, 
1910. 

''Religious  Training  in  Indian  Mission  Schools,"  The 
East  and  the  West,  April,  1911. 


QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTER  VI 

Aim:  To  Appreciate  the  Needs  and  Opportunities  of  Work 
FOR  Indian  Women 

1.     Try  to  think  what  difference  it  would  make  to  you  if 

you  believed  that  women  were  inferior  to  men  in  the 

sight  of  God. 
2.*  What  benefits  does  Christianity  derive  from  the  position 

it  gives  to  woman? 
3.     Sum  up  the  evils  that  would  result  in  the  home  from 

the  ignorance  and  seclusion  of  woman. 


QUESTIONS    AND    EEFEEENCES  235 

4.  Sum  up  the  evils  resulting  in  public  life  from  the  ignor- 
ance and  seclusion  of  woman. 

5.*  Sum  up  the  main  contributions  of  educated  Christian 
women  to  Christian  society, 

6.  What  are  the  main  evils  resulting  among  women  in  thia 
country  from  liberty  without  education? 

7.*  What  are  the  main  evils  resulting  among  women  in 
this  country  from  liberty  and  education  without  Chris- 
tian character? 

8.  What  would  you  think  would  be  the  result  in  India  if 
the  social  restraints  of  Hinduism  were  removed  without 
education? 

9.  In  what  ways  would  the  situation  be  similar  to  that  in 
the  United  States  after  the  Emancipation  Proclama- 
tion? 

10.  What  do  you  think  would  be  the  result  in  India  if 
women  were  given  liberty  and  education  without  Chris- 
tian character? 

11.  If  Christian  character  is  an  essential  for  women  in 
India,  how  are   they  to   obtain  it? 

12.  What  is  the  relative  likelihood  that  a  non-Christian 
woman  in  India  will  obtain  an  education  as  compared 
with  an  Indian  Christian  woman? 

13.  What  hope  does  there  seem  to  you  to  be  in  Hinduism 
for  social  reforms  apart  from  the  direct  or  indirect 
influences  of  Christianity? 

13.*  Even  if  social  reforms  would  probably  come  about  with- 
out the  aid  of  Christianity,  why  can  the  Church  not 
afford  to  be  silent  on  the  subject? 

14.  What  is  the  need  for  Christianity  of  those  Hindu  women 
who   obtain  neither  education  nor  social  liberty? 

15.*  In  what  ways  should  the  education  of  a  woman  in 
India  differ  from  that  of  a  woman  in  this  country? 

16.  Try  to  imagine  yourself  living  for  a  month  under  the 
conditions  of  the  zenana  woman  in  India. 

17.  What  are  the  principal  evils  of  child  marriage? 

18.  Why  is  religion  directly  responsible  for  the  evils  of 
Hindu  widowhood? 

19.  Sum  up  the  ways  in  which  its  treatment  of  woman  in- 
dicates the  moral  perversity  of  Hinduism. 

20.  Why  have  the  attempts  of  native  reformers  achieved 
so  little? 

21.*  Prepare  an  answer  for  the  indifferent  Christian  who 
asserts  that  ''their  religions  are  good  enough  for 
them." 


236  INDIA   AWAKENING 

EEFEEENCES  FOR  ADVANCED  STUDY 

CHAPTEE   VI 

Position  of  Women  in  India  and  Worlc  for  Them. 

Compton,  Indian  Life  in  Town  and  Country,  VII-VIII. 

Denning,  Mosaics  from  India,  V-VI,  VIII-X. 

Dyer,  Pandita  Eamabai. 

Eraser,  Among  Indian  Eajahs  and  Eyots,  VHI. 

Fuller,  Wrongs  of  Indian  Womanhood. 

Hopkins,  Within  the  Purdah. 

Eamabai,  The  High  Caste  Hindu  Women. 

Wilkins,  Modern  Hinduism,  Part  V. 

Eeport  of  Madras  Decennial  Conference,  pp.  97-118. 

*^ Indian    Women    and    Indian    Nationalism,"    The    East 

and  the  West,  July,   1910. 
** Women's  Education  in  India,''  The  East  and  the  West, 

October,  1910. 
** Female  Education  in  North  India/'  The  East  and  the 

West,  January,  1911. 

QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTEE  VII 

[Aim:  To  Appreciate  the  Share  op  the  Home  Church  in 
THE  Missionary's  Problems  of  India 

1.*  Give  several  reasons  why  the  Native  Church  is  the  key 

to  the  situation  in  India. 
2.     What  should  be  the  general  policy  of  the   missionary 

toward  the  Native  Church? 
3.*  Try  to  estimate  the  extent  of  the  task  confronting  the 

Christian  Church  in  India  as  compared  to  that  of  the 

Church  in  this  country. 
4.*  What  reasons  are  there  for  expecting  that  the  rate  of 

progress  of  Christianity  will  be  greater  in  the  future 

than  in  the  past? 
5.*  What  are  the  principal  dangers  that  may  cause  a  check 

in  the  rate  of  progress? 

6.  At  the  present  rate  of  increase,  how  large  will  the 
Protestant  community  in  India  be  at  the  end  of  fifty 
years! 

7.  How  many  Christians  would  there  be  in  your  city,  town, 
or  village,  if  they  were  in  the  same  proportion  as  Chris- 
tians in  India? 


QUESTIONS    AND    EEFERENCES  237 

8.  How  many  would  there  be  in  your  State  or  Province 
under  the   same  conditions? 

9.  What   seems   to  you  to  be  the  ultimate  ideal  for  the 
Native  Church  as  to  self-government? 

10.  What  conditions  would  you  consider  necessary  for  the 
realization  of  this  ideal? 

11.  What  are  the  dangers  of  putting  this  ideal  into  opera- 
tion too  early? 

12.  What  are  the  dangers  of  deferring  it  until  too  late? 

13.  How  is  this  matter  complicated  by  the  training  and 
temperament  of  the  average  Westerner  as  compared 
with  that  of  the  average  Indian? 

14.  What  seems  to  you  to  be  the  ultimate  ideal  for  the  In- 
dian Church  as  to  self-support  in  a  country  as  poor  as 
India? 

15.*  What  are  the  advantages  of  the  free  use   of   mission 

funds? 
16.*  What  are  the  dangers  of  this  policy? 

17.  In  what  lines  is  the  investment  of  mission  funds  quite 
justifiable? 

18.  In  what  lines  should  any  investment  of  mission  funds 
be  avoided  or  reduced  to  a  minimum? 

19.*  What  are  the  arguments  for  ample  salaries  for  Indian 

evangelists  ? 
20.*  What  are  the  arguments  for  small  salaries? 

21.  What  would  you  consider  the  arguments  for  and 
against  missionary  interference  in  the  case  of  the  op- 
pressed Christian  mentioned  on  page  178? 

22.  What  problems  are  there  in  missionary  work  in  India 
that  seem  to  you  could  be  solved  by  more  money? 

23.  What  problems  are  there  that  you  think  could  be  solved 
by  more  workers? 

24.  What  problems  are  there  that  you  think  could  be  solved 
only  by  more  prayer? 

25.*  What  is  the  responsibility  of  the  Home  Church  for  fel- 
lowship with  the  missionary  in  his  discouragements? 


REFERENCES  FOR  ADVANCED  STUDY 

CHAPTER  VII 

Missionary  Methods  and  Problems. 

Beach,  India  and  Christian  Opportunity,  VTI. 

Datta,  The  Desire  of  India,  VI. 

Jones,  India's  Problem:   Krishna  or  Christ,  IX. 


238  INDIA   AWAKENING 

Speer,  Christianity  and  the  Nations,  II. 

''Need  of  Community  Missions  in  India,"  The  East  and 

the  West,  October,   1909. 
* '  Cooperation  for  the  Promotion  of  Unity, ' '  The  East  and 

the  West;  October,  1910. 

The  Native  Church. 

Datta,  The  Desire  of  India,  VII. 

Eichter,  History  of  Protestant  Missions  in  India,  pp.  409- 

436. 
Speer,  Christianity  and  the  Nations,  III. 
Report  of  Edinburgh  Missionary  Conference,  Vol.  II. 
Eeport  of  the  Madras  Decennial  Conference,  pp.  17-61. 

QUESTIONS  ON  CHAPTEE  VIII 

Aim:  To  Appeeciate   Our  Eesponsibility  in  View  of   the 
Need  and  the  Power  of  the  Gospel  to  Meet  It. 

1.  For  what  reasons  is  the  Church  in  this  country  responsi- 
ble for  foreign  missions? 

2.*  In  what  ways  is  the  responsibility  of  the  present  gener- 
ation greater  than  that  of  any  that  has  preceded  it? 

3.  For  what  contributions  in  particular  are  we  responsible 
in  carrying  on  the  foreign  missionary  enterprise? 

4.  Which  of  these  contributions  is  your  own  community 
most  backward  in  supplying  for  the  work? 

5.*  What  are  the  obstacles,  in  your  opinion,  which  most 
hinder  us  from  discharging  our  responsibility  to  foreign 
missions? 

6.  Try  to  think  out  some  practical  plans  by  which  some 
of  these  hindrances  might  be  removed. 

7.  In  what  ways  does  India  seem  to  you  to  have  a  special 
claim  upon  the  efforts  of  the  Christian  Church? 

8.  Sum  up  as  forcibly  as  you  can  the  claim  constituted  by 
India's  vastness;  by  the  number  of  her  villages. 

9.  Sum  up  the  claim  presented  by  the  caste  problem. 

10.  Sum  up  the  claim  of  her  religions  and  religiousness. 

11.  Sum  up  the  claim  of  the  present  unrest  and  awakening. 

12.  Sum  up  the  claim  of  the  mass  movements. 

13.  Sum  up  the  claim  of  the  students  of  India. 

14.  Sum  up  the  claim  of  the  women  of  India. 

15.  Sum  up  the  claim  of  the  present  needs  of  the  Native 
Church. 

16.  Sum  up  the  claim  of  the  unoccupied  sections  of  the 
country. 


QUESTIONS    AND    EEFEEENCES  239 

17.  Sum  up  the  claim  involved  in  the  demonstrated  power 
of  the  gospel  to  meet  the  needs  of  India. 

18.  Why  can  we  not  transfer  all  further  responsibility  for 
the  evangelization  of  India  to  Great  Britain? 

19  Is  our  responsibility  for  foreign  missionary  effort  lim- 
ited to  those  nations  over  which  we  have  political  juris- 
diction? 

20.  Would  this  transference  diminish  our  responsibility  for 
the  evangelization  of  the  world  as  a  whole? 

21.  Is  Great  Britain  proportionately  behind  this  country 
in  her  response  to  foreign  missionary  obligations? 

22.  Ought  we  to  erpect  Great  Britain  greatly  to  increase 
her  foreign  missionary  activities  without  increasing  our 
own  at  the  same  time? 

23.  What  advantage  would  there  be  in  transferring  the 
long-established  work  of  American  missions  in  India  to 
Great  Britain? 

24.  Would  this  plan  not  involve  the  assumption  by  America 
of  missions  now  operated  by  Great  Britain  in  other  parts 
of  the  world? 

25.*  From  the  standpoint  of  need  and  usefulness,  how  does 
the  work  of  the  foreign  missionary  seem  to  you  to  com- 
pare with  that  of  other  persons? 

26.*  Make  as  strong  a  statement  as  you  can  for  the  need 
of  missionary  volunteers  for  India. 

27.*  Make  as  strong  a  statement  as  you  can  for  the  need  of 
increased  financial  support  for  the  work  in  India. 

28.*  Make  as  strong  a  statement  as  you  can  for  the  need  of 
more  earnest  prayer  and  service  at  home  for  India. 


EEFEEENCES  FOE  ADVANCED  STUDY 

CHAPTEE  VIII 

The  OutlooTc. 

Beach,  India  and  Christian  Opportunity,  VIII. 

Datta,  The  Desire  of  India,  VIII. 

Jones,  India's  Problem:  Krishna  or  Christ,  X,  XI. 

Eeport  of  Edinburgh  Conference,  Vol.  I,  pp.  135-162. 

* ^ Interpreting  Christ  to  India,''  The  East  and  the  West, 

April,  1908. 
Eeport   of  the   Madras  Decennial  Conference,  pp.   62-82, 

202-207. 


APPENDIXES 


APPENDIX  A 


Area  and  Population  of  British  Provinces  and  Native  States,  190Z 


Province,  State,  or  Aghnct 
Provinces 

1.  Ajmer-Merwara 

2.  Andamans  and  Nioobars 

3.  Assam 

4.  Baluchistan     (Diairicis    and    Administered 

Territories) 

5.  Bengal 

6.  Berar 

7.  Bombay  (Presidency) 

Bombay 

Sind 

Aden 

8.  Burma 

9.  Central  Provinces 

10.  Coorg 

11.  Madras 

12.  North-West  Frontier  Province 

13.  Punjab 

14.  United  Provinces  of  Agra  and  Oudh 

Agra 

Oudh 

Total  British  Territory 

States  and  Agencies 

15.  Baluchistan  (Agency) 

16.  Baroda  State 

17.  Bengal  States 

IS.  Bombay  States 

19.  Central  India  Agency 

Gwalior  State 

20.  Central  Provinces  States 

21.  Hyderabad  State 

22.  Kashmir  State 

23.  Madras  State 

Cochin  State 

Tra'-ancore  State 

24.  Mysore  State 

25.  Punjab  States 

26.  Rajputana  Agency 

27.  United  Provinces  States 

Total  Native  States 

Grand  Total  India 

241 


Area  in 
Square  Miles 

2,711 

3,143 

56,243 

45,804 
151,185 

17,710 
123.064 

75.918 

47,066 

80 

236,738 

86,459 

1,582 

141,726 
16,466 
97,209 

107,164 
83,198 
28,966 


Population 

476,912 

24,649 

6,126,343 

308.246 
74.744,866 

2,754,016 
18,559,561 
15,304,677 

S,S10,910 

43,974 

10,490,624 

9,876,646 

180,607 

38,209,436 

2,125,480 
20,330,339 
47,691,782 
34,858,705 
12,833,077 


1,087,204 

231.899,507 

86.511 

502.500 

8.099 

1.952,092 

38.652 

3.748.544 

65,761 

6.908,648 

78,772 

8.628,781 

2,933,001 

29,435 

1,996.383 

82,698 

11,141,142 

80,900 

2,905.578 

•9,969 

4.1S8.086 

812,025 

2,952,157 

29,444 

5.539.399 

36.532 

4.424,398 

127.541 

9,723,301 

5,079 

802.097 

679,393 

62.461.549 

1.766,597         294,361.056 


242 


APPENDIX   B 


APPENDIX  B 
Distribution  of  Christians  by  Race  and  Denomination 


Denomination 

European 

and 

Allied  Races 

Eurasians 

Natives 

Total 

Males 

Fem. 

Males 

Fem. 

Males 

Fem. 

1901 

Anglican 

Armenian 

Baptist     

81,583 

600 

1,198 

215 

495 

953 

4,494 

7,522 

15 

23,635 

2 
54 

1,830 

30,181 

385 

910 

206 

90 

447 

1,504 

2,171 

15 

10,329 

3 

1 
46 

793 

18,049 

30 

993 

62 

27 

152 

1,060 

715 

3 

23,156 

"*6 
688 

17,732 

22 

1,024 

78 
4 

135 

1,360 

724 

1 

22,541 

681 

154,544 

8 

110,180 

19,113 

25 

77,111 
35,759 
21,602 
731 
560,168 
163,607 

126,593 
9,766 

64,953 

151,373 

8 

106,735 

18,200 

15 

76.657 

32,730 

21,197 

544 

562,340 

158,976 

122,144 
9,081 

60,153 

1453,462 

1,053 

221,040 

Congregationalist 
Greek 

37,874 
656 

Lutheran  and  Al- 
lied Denomina- 
tions       

155,455 

Methodist 

Presbyterian 

76,907 

53,931 

1,309 

Roman  Catholic . 

Romo-Syrian .... 

Sjrrian     (Jacobite 
and  others) 

Salvationist 

Other  Denomina- 
tions and  those 
not  returned. . . 

1,202,169 
322,586 

248,741 
18,960 

129.098 

Total 

122,596 

47,081 

44,941 

44,310 

1,344,160 

1,320,153 

2.923,241 

Including  92,644  who  described  themselves  as  Protestants. 


APPENDIX   C 


243 


APPENDIX   C 

Distribution  of  Population  According  to  Religion  and  Education,  190X 

MALES 
Total 

Reliqions                           Population  Illiterate  Literate 

Hindu 105,163,432  95,241,156  9,922,276 

Sikh 1,241,543  1,120,023  121,520 

Jain 691,787  366,489  325,298 

Buddhist 4,680,384  2,800,505  1,879,879 

Parsee 48,086  11,743  36,343 

Mohammedan 31,843,565  29,916,414  1,927,151 

Chriatian 1,508,372  1,068,759  439,613 

Animistic 4,254,030  4,220,804  33,226 

Minor  and  Unspecified 10,907  6,133  4,774 

Total  Males 149,442,106  134,752,026  14,690,080 

FEMALES 

Hindu 101,945,436  101,468,049  477,387 

Sikh 950,823  943,708  7,115 

Jain 642,249  630,794  11,455 

Buddhist 4,796,368  4,592,738  203,630 

Parsee 45,883  21,214  24,669 

Mohammedan 29,849,144  29,758,085  91,059 

Christian 1,410,843  1,233,809  177,034 

Animistic 4,321,926  4,319,958  1,968 

Minor  and  Unspecified 10,128  8.104  2,024 

Total  Females 143,972,800  142,976,459  996,341 

Total  Population 293,414,906  277,728,485  15,686,421 

Literacy  was  not  recorded  in  the  case  of  946,150  persons  (509,718  males  and 
436,432  females). 


244  APPENDIX   D 


APPENDIX  D 

Some  of  the  Principal  Occupations  upon  Whicli  Persons  Depend 
for  a  Living 

Agriculture 191,691,731 

General  Laborers 16,941,026 

Textile  Fabrics  and  Dress 11,214,158 

Mendicants  (non-religioua) 4,222,241 

Leatlier,  hides,  and  horns 3,241,935 

Priests  and  others  engaged  in  Religion 2,728,812 

Barbers  and  Shampooers 2,331,598 

Grain  and  Pulse  Dealers 2,264,481 

Shoe,  Boot,  and  Sandal  Makers 1,957,291 

Grocers  and  General  Condiment  Dealers 1,587,255 

Construction  of  Buildings 1,579,760 

Sweepers  and  Scavengers 1,518,422 

Fishermen  and  Fish  Curers 1,280,358 

Fish  Dealers 1,269,435 

Bankers  and  Money  Lenders,  etc 1,200,998 

Tailors,  Milliners,  Dressmakers,  and  Darners 1,142,153 

Vegetable  and  Fruit  Sellers 862,428 

Indefinite  and  disreputable  occupations 737,033 

Sweetmeat  Makers  and  Sellers 603,741 

Actors,  Singers,  Dancers,  Bandmasters,  Players,  etc 562,055 

Medical  Practitioners,  Midwives,  etc 520,044 

Railway  Servants 503,993 

Teachers,  Professors,  and  others  engaged  in  education 497,509 

Butchers  and  Slaughterers 345,933 

Barristers  and  others  engaged  in  Law 279,646 


APPENDIX   E 


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248 


APPENDIX  G 


APPENDIX  G 
Girls  under  Instruction  Classified  According  to  Race  or  Creed  ^ 


Europeans  or  Eurasians. . 

Native  Christians 

Hindus  jBrahmans 

( non-Brahmans. 

Mohammedans 

Buddhists 

Parsees 

Others 

Total 


14,448 

62,284 

86,694 

297,325 

121,699 

51,745 

6,170 

4,563 


644,928 


»  Fifth  Quinquennial  Review,  1906-7,  p.  137. 


APPENDIX  H 
Private  Institutions  ^ 


Class  op  In8tittjtion8 

Institutions 
1906-7 

Pupils 
1906-7 

Advanced 

2,051 

1,630 

6 

39,193 

21.315 

Other  Oriental  Classes.                    

284 

Total            .              

3,687 

10,504 

25.108 

1,893 

60,792 

Elementary 

189,713 

Vornanilar  Sfhrtola 

351,043 

42,604 

Total 

37.505 

583.360 

41,192 

644.152 

I  Fifth  Quinquennial  Review,  1906-7,  pp.  164,  166. 


APPENDIXES    I    AND   J  249 

APPENDIX  I 
Pupils  in  Institutions  of  All  Classes  by  Race  or  Creed  i 


Europeans  and  Eurasians. 

Native  Christians 

Hindus 

Mohammedana 

Buddhist 

Parsees 

Other 

Total 


30,722 

169,067 

3,545,507 

1,172,371 

368,554 

17,019 

85,392 


5,388,632 


» Fifth  Quinquennial  Review,  1906-7,  p.  61. 
APPENDIX  J 

PRAYER  AT   THE    NATIONAL   CONGRESS 

**0  most  gracious  God  and  Father,  by  whose  divine  proTi- 
dence  mankind  is  ruled  and  all  things  are  made  to  work  out 
thy  good  ends,  we  thank  thee  for  enabling  us,  thy  unworthy 
servants,  to  assemble  once  more  in  this  great  city  for  this,  the 
twenty-second  session  of  our  National  Congress.  We  bless  thy 
holy  name  that  thou  didst  put  into  the  hearts  of  our  leaders, 
some  of  whom  have  now  departed  this  life,  to  establish  this 
Congress,  and  didst  grant  them  wisdom  and  ability  to  maintain 
and  develop  it  in  the  face  of  manifold  and  vast  difficulties. 
We  heartily  thank  thee  for  the  measure  of  usefulness  granted 
to  our  Congress  in  the  past,  in  drawing  together  in  the  bonds  of 
friendship,  fellowship,  and  united  effort  our  countrymen,  sepa- 
rated, as  they  are,  by  differences  of  race,  creed,  language,  and 
social  customs.  We  also  render  thee  most  humble  and  hearty 
thanks  for  the  marvelous  growth  of  the  true  spirit  of  Nation- 
alism which  has  recently  manifested  itself  in  all  parts  of  our 
beloved  motherland. 

**  We  seek  thy  blessing,  O  Heavenly  Father,  oa  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  present  session  of  our  Congress.  Give  to  the 
President  and  to  all  speakers  the  guidance  of  thy  Holy  Spirit, 
so  that  nothing  may  be  said  or  done  here  that  is  not  in  accord- 


250  APPENDIX   J 

ance  with  thy  holy  will.  Kemove  from  us  all  ill  feeling,  preju- 
dice, and  uncharitableness,  and  fill  our  hearts  with  a  genuine 
desire  for  the  good  of  the  country  and  its  people,  with  un- 
swerving loyalty  to  our  rulers,  and  with  good  feelings  toward 
all  sections  of  the  inhabitants  of  this  land.  Let  moderation 
and  earnestness,  wisdom  and  charity,  humility  and  harmony 
characterize  our  proceedings  at  this  great  gathering. 

''  We  implore  thy  blessing  on  our  Gracious  Sovereign  and 
Emperor,  King  Edward,  and  on  the  Royal  Family.  Enable 
those  that  bear  rule  in  this  land  under  His  Imperial  Majesty 
to  realize  their  unique  responsibilities  consequent  on  their  posi- 
tion which  thou  hast  been  pleased  to  grant  them,  and  help 
them  to  fulfil  the  sacred  charge  committed  to  them,  so  as  to 
glorify  thy  name,  and  to  benefit  our  people.  More  especially 
at  this  time  we  beseech  thee,  O  Lord,  to  inspire  all  the  mem- 
bers of  the  ruling  race  with  true  sympathy  for  the  people  over 
whom  thou  hast  placed  them  as  rulers. 

' '  O  merciful  God,  we  seek  thy  guidance  and  help  in  checking 
and  uprooting  all  the  evils  which  hinder  our  progress  and  im- 
provement as  a  people.  Enable  us  to  make  ourselves  worthy 
in  every  respect  of  the  privileges  of  self-government  and  par- 
ticipation in  the  administration  of  the  country  which  we  seek 
and  claim.  Pardon  our  many  shortcomings,  strengthen  our 
infirmities,  bless  our  labors,  and  bestow  on  us  such  a  measure 
•f  success  as  thou  thinkest  fit.  Grant  us  the  spirit  of  self- 
effacement,  and  self-sacrifice,  and  accept  our  humble  services 
to  the  glory  of  thy  holy  name,  and  the  good  of  our  beloved 
motherland.    Amen. ' ' 


APPENDIX  K 

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

An  effort  has  been  made  to  include  in  this  list  the  books  that 
will  prove  most  helpful  in  a  study  of  the  text-book.  Persons 
desiring  an  exhaustive  list  should  consult  the  Bibliography  in 
Volume  VI  of  the  World  Missionary  Conference  of  1910. 


APPENDIX  K  251 

History 

Hunter,  William  W.     A  Brief  History  of  the  Indian  Peoples. 
1903.    Clarendon  Press,  N.  Y.    90  cents. 

A  condensed  sketch  of  Indian  history  from  the  earliest 
times,  by  one  of  the  highest  authorities.  It  is  used  in 
civil  service  examinations  by  the  British  government. 

Frazer,  Eobert  Watson.     British  Rule  in  India.     1897.     Put- 
nam, N.  Y.     $1.50. 

This  book  is  larger  and  covers  a  much  shorter  period 
than  the  preceding,  so  that  it  presents  a  fuller  and  more 
satisfactory  account  of  the  events  treated.  In  the  well- 
known  Story  of  the  Nations  series. 

Seeley,    J.   R.      The   Expansion   of  England.      1902.     Little, 
Brown,  Boston.     $1.75. 

The  second  part  contains  a  brilliant  explanation  of  the 
way  in  which  England  conquered  and  holds  India.  The 
generalizations  have  been  considered  by  later  historians 
as  somewhat  too  sweeping. 

Lyall,  Alfred.    Rise  of  the  British  Dominion  in  India.     1894. 
John  Murray,  London.     4s.  6d. 

Less  brilliant,  but  more  authoritative  and  detailed  than 
Seeley. 

General 
Lyall,  Alfred.     Asiatic  Studies:  Religious  and  Social.     1899. 
2  Vols.,  9s.  each.     New  and   cheaper   edition.     Murray, 
London. 

Able  studies  of  Indian  life  and  religion;  especially  valu- 
able in  treating  the  philosophy  of  the  popular  beliefs;  by 
an  eminent  authority.  A  reference  book  for  all  serious 
students. 
CJompton.  Indian  Life  in  Town  and  Country.  1904.  Putnam, 
N.  Y.     $1.20. 

A  very  readable  account  of  the  life  both  of  the  native 
and  of  the  Anglo-Indian,  by  an  Indian  civilian.  Mis- 
sionary work  is  not  treated,  but  the  judgment  of  things 
Indian  is  keen  and  valuable. 


252  APPENDIX   K 

Chirol,  Valentine.     Indian  Unrest.     1910.     Macmillan,  N.  Y. 
$2.00. 

Letters  written  originally  for  the  London  Times,  which 
attracted  great  attention.  The  author  has  had  long  expe- 
rience in  the  East  and  special  facilities  for  observation. 
The  statements  refer  mainly  to  Bengal. 

Fraser,  A.   H.  L.     Among  Indian  Bajahs  and  Byots.     1910. 
Lippincott,  Philadelphia.     $4.00. 

The  writer  held  many  positions  in  the  Indian  civil 
service,  ending  as  Lieutenant  Governor  of  Bengal.  He  has 
had  remarkable  opportunity  for  seeing  many  sides  of  In- 
dian Life.  His  experiences  are  simply  told,  but  in  ad- 
mirable spirit. 

Townsend,  Meredith.    Asia  and  Europe.    1910.    Putnam,  N.  Y. 
$1.50. 

Most  interesting  essays  on  conditions  and  movements 
in  the  Nearer  and  Farther  East,  and  the  relation  of  Eu- 
rope thereto;  the  outcome  of  a  lifelong  study  of  the  rela- 
tions between  these  two  continents;  brilliant,  paradoxical, 
and  suggestive. 

Biographical 

Clark,  Henry  Martyn.     Bohert  Clark  of  the  Punjab.     1909. 
Eevell,  N.   Y.     $1.75. 

Biography  of  one  of  India's  pioneer  missionaries;  con- 
tains many  characteristic  experiences  of  missionary  work 
among  Mohammedans. 

Chamberlain,  Jacob.     The  Kingdom  in  India.     1908.     Eevell, 
N.  Y.     $1.50. 

Practically  an  autobiography  of  a  great  missionary  vet- 
eran; vivid  descriptions  of  missionary  life  and  work  in 
India. 

Dyer,  Helen  S.    Pandita  Bamalai.    1900.    Eevell,  N.  Y.    $1.25. 
Story  of  the  best-known  Indian  woman  from  her  child- 
hood to  1900;   intended  as  a  record  of  answered  prayers 
and    fulfilled    promises    in    connection   with    child    widow 
rescue  work  and  famine  relief. 


APPENDIX   K  253 

Smith,   George.     The   Life   of   WUliam  Carey.     1887.     John 
Murray,  London.     16s. 

Smith,  George.     The  Life  of  Alexander  Duff.     1900.     Hodder 
and  Stoughton,  London.     6g.     (Out  of  print.) 

These  two  lives — one  of  the  English  pioneer,  the  other 
of  Scotland's  most  famous  educational  missionary — are 
classics.  Dr.  Duff 's  life  is  condensed  from  an  earlier  two- 
volume  edition. 

Smith,  George.     Henry  Martyn:  First  Modern  Missionary  to 
the  Mohammedans.    1902.    Eevell,  N.  Y.     $1.50. 

Standard  life  of  the  most  spiritual  of  early  Indian 
missionaries,  one  whose  life  has  inspired  multitudes,  des- 
pite its  occasional  morbidness ;  gives  interesting  facts  con- 
cerning early  work  in  Persia. 


Missions 

Crooke,  W.    Northwestern  Provinces  of  India.    1897.  Methuen, 

London.     10s.  6d. 

On  account  of  the  limited  range  of  the  subject-matter, 

this  book  finds  it  possible  to  give  details  on  many  topics 

that  are  usually  found  only  in  very  extended  works.     The 

writer  is  well  posted  and  discriminating. 
Fuller,  Mrs.  Marcus  B.     The  Wrongs  of  Indian  Womanhood. 

1900.    Revell,  N.  Y.    $1.25. 
Perhaps   the  best   book   on  the   subject.     Gives   many 

illustrations  from  personal  experience  and  knowledge.    A 

stirring  book. 
Beach,   Harlan  P.     India  and  Christian   Opportunity.     1903. 

Student  Volunteer  Movement,  N.  Y.     50  cents. 

A  miniature  encyclopedia  on  India  from  the  missionary 

standpoint;    a  remarkable  piece  of   condensation.     Omits 

few  subjects  of  importance  and  consequently  treats  th« 

others  briefly. 
Lucas,  Bernard.     The  Empire  of  Christ.     1907.     Macmillan, 

N.  Y.     80  cents. 

A   brilliant   and   suggestive  book  which  has   provoked 


254  APPENDIX   K 

dissent  from  many.  Emphasizes  the  leavening  of  Indian 
society  rather  than  the  gaining  of  individual  converts. 
A  book  which  every  student  of  Indian  missions  should 
read. 

Mrs.  Armstrong-Hopkins.     Within  the  Purdah,     1898.     Eaton 
&  Mains,  N.  Y.     $1.25. 

The  experiences  of  a  woman  physician  who  had  some 
unusual  opportunities  for  observation.  Some  of  the  inci- 
dents are  very  vivid. 

Jones,  John  P.     India's  Problem:  Krishna  or  Christ.    Eevell, 
N.  Y.    $1.50. 

The  field  and  problems  of  mission  work  in  India  pre- 
sented by  a  sane  and  strong  missionary  writer.  One  of  the 
best  books  for  an  introduction  to  missionary  work. 

Jones,  John  P.     India:  Its  Life  and  Thought.     1908.     Mac- 
millan,  N.  Y.     $2.50. 

Studies  in  Indian  religion  and  life  by  a  missionary  with 
long  experience.  Caste,  home  life,  leading  ideas  of  Hin- 
duism, and  the  influence  of  Christianity  are  treated. 

Morrison,  John,    New  Ideas  in  India.    1907.    Macmillan,  N.  Y. 
$1.60. 

Lectures  delivered  in  Scotland  in  1904-5.  They  present 
the  new  ideas  that  are  arising  in  India  and  discuss  the 
outlook  for  Christianity. 

Andrews,  C.  F.    North  India.     1908.    Mowbray,  London.     28. 

One  of  a  series  of  handbooks  published  by  the  S.  P.  G. 

Together  with  matters  which  would  be  of  interest  mainly 

to  members  of  that  Society,  the  author  gives  some  acute 

and  valuable  chapters  on  the  present  religious  situation. 

Beport  of  the  Madras  Decennial  Conference  of  19  OS. 

Contains  the  reports  of  committees  of  experienced  mis- 
sionaries appointed  to  consider  aU  sides  of  missionary 
work.  An  authoritative  statement  of  missionary  policy 
in  India. 

"Report  of  the  World  Missionary  Conference  of  1910. 

The  most  comprehensive  missionary  document  ever  28- 


APPENDIX   K  255 

sued.  Nearly  all  the  volumes  contain  material  of  great 
importance  bearing  on  India.  Volume  III  on  Education, 
and  Volume  IV  on  non-Christian  Eeligions  are  specially 
valuable. 

Eichter,  Julius.  A  History  of  Protestant  Missions  in  India. 
1908.    KeveU,  N.  Y.     $2.50. 

An  excellent  translation  of  Indische  Missions  Geschichte, 
clear  and  away  the  best  book  on  Christian  missions  to 
India;  scholarly  and  comprehensive;  the  first  part  historical, 
while  the  second  part  deals  with  the  problems,  organiza- 
tion, results,  and  outlook  of  Indian  missions;  written  by 
one  of  the  world's  great  missionary  authorities. 

Mylne,  Louis  George.  Missions  to  Hindus.  1908.  Longmans, 
N.  Y.    $1.20. 

A  treatment  of  caste  and  the  methods  whereby  the  prob- 
lems of  caste  should  be  met. 

Carmichael,  Amy  Wilson.  Things  as  They  Are:  Mission  Work 
in  Southern  India.     1906.     Revell,  N.  Y.    $1.00. 

The  strongest  piece  of  realistic  writing  in  Indian  mis- 
sionary literature;  illustrations  and  subscripts  most  un- 
usual; depressing  because  only  the  darkest  side  is  por- 
trayed. 

Carmichael,  Amy  Wilson.  Overweights  of  Joy:  A  Story  of 
Mission  Work  in  Southern  India.  1906.  Eevell,  N.  Y. 
$1.00. 

The  other  side  of  the  shield;  as  realistic  as  the  preced- 
ing book,  but  incidents  are  chosen  to  reveal  the  gospel's 
supernatural  power;    excellent  illustrations. 

Datta,  Surendra  K.  The  Desire  of  India.  1908.  Young  Peo- 
ple's Missionary  Movement,  N.  Y.     64  cents. 

One  of  the  best  brief  works  on  India  and  missionary 
work  there;  has  the  advantage  of  the  sympathetic  insight 
of  its  Indian  authorship;  used  widely  as  a  text-book  by 
the  students  of  Great  Britain. 

Denning,  M.  B.  Mosaics  from  India.  1902.  Eevell,  N.  Y. 
$1.25. 


256  APPENDIX   K 

A  very  useful  series  of  sketches  for  giving  a  general 
view  of  Indian  customs,  caste,  position  of  women,  etc. 
Hume,  Eobert  A.     Missions  from  the   Modern   View.     1905. 
Eevell,  N.  Y.    $1.25. 

Lectures  by  a  well-known  missionary  at  Ahmednagar 
on  certain  phases  of  the  science  of  missions;  discusses  the 
modern  view  of  God  and  the  world,  the  relation  of  mis- 
sions to  sociology  and  psychology,  the  points  of  contact 
between  Christianity  and  Hinduism,  and  the  spirit  in 
which  the  gospel  should  be  presented  to  Hindus. 
Thoburn,  J.  M.  The  Christian  Conquest  of  India.  1906. 
Young  People's  Missionary  Movement,  N.  Y.    50  cents. 

One  of  the  best  brief  books  on  India.     Written  by  a 
successful  veteran  after  forty-six  years  of  experience. 


Beligion 

Hopkins,  Edward  W.     The  Eeligions  of  India.     1895.     Ginn, 
Boston.     $2.00. 

Prof.  Hopkins  writes  as  a  specialist  with  a  wide  knowl- 
edge of  the  literature.  The  book  is  not  easy  reading  but 
contains  much  of  value. 

Hall,  Charles  Cuthbert.     Christ  and  the  Eastern  Soul.     1909. 
University  of  Chicago  Press,  Chicago.     $1.25. 

The  Barrows  Lectures,  delivered  in  1906-1907,  by  Charles 
Cuthbert  Hall,  in  India;  the  lectures  are  irenic,  yet  loyal 
to  the  supremacy  and  dignity  of  Christianity;  recognize 
fuUy  all  that  is  good  in  ethnic  religion,  and  are  highly 
appreciative  of  the  gifts  and  capacities  of  the  Eastern 
soul,  especially  its  ability  to  profit  by  and  exemplify  the 
benefits  of  the  Christian  religion  when  loyally  and  intelli- 
gently accepted. 

Mitchell,  J.  Murray.     The  Great  Beligions  of  India.     Eevell, 
N.  Y.    $1.50. 

The  Duff  Lectures,  written  by  a  veteran  who,  in  India 
and  at  home,  was  a  student  of  Hinduism,  Zoroastrianism, 
Buddhism,  and  the  native  religions  of  India. 


APPENDIX   K  257 

Slater,  T.  E.    The  Higher  Hinduism  in  Belation  to  Christianity. 
1903.     Elliott  Stock,  London.     3s.   6d. 

A  generous  interpretation  of  philosophic  Hinduism; 
written  by  a  scholarly  and  experienced  missionary  to  the 
educated  classes  of  India. 

Wilkins,  W.  J.     Modern  Hinduism.     1900.     Thacker,  London. 
10s.  6d. 

A  full  and  valuable  survey  of  Hinduism,  its  vs^orship, 
ethics,  social  institutions,  and  results. 

Williams,    Monier.    Brdhmanism  and   Hinduism.      Macmillan, 
N.  Y.     $4.50. 

More  valuable  than  the  author's  handbook  on  Hinduism, 
because  much  more  detailed.  The  bones  of  the  briefer 
outline  are  clothed  with  flesh.  Especially  good  on  secta- 
rian Hinduism. 


INDEX 


INDEX 


Abuses  in  native  states,  78,  79 
Acceptance    of    Christ    among 

students,  125 
Aim  of  Christian  education,  119 
Aligarh,  account  of,  200;  mela 
at  shrine,   199;   sacred  foun- 
tain scenes,  201,  202 
Allahabad,    48;    University    at, 

114 
American  Baptist  Foreign  Mis- 
sion   Society,    93;     formerly 
American  Baptist  Missionary 
Union,  93 
Amir  Ali  quoted  on  Great  Brit- 
ain in  India,  79 
Ancient  Law,  Maine,  quoted,  16 
Andrews,  C.  F.,  quoted,  56 
Animal  sacrifices,  46,  90,  200 
Animism,  32-36;  remnant  of  in 

America,  34 
Antipathy  to  foreign  rulers,  72 
Apologetic,  the  best,  127-129 
Argument  not  helpful,  127;  bet- 
ter to  present  Christ,  128 
Army  in  India,  78 
Arya  Samaj,  52 
Aryan  race,  5,  6,  37 
Ascetic  life  and  modern  work, 

63 
Ascetics,  46,  47,  192,  200.     See 

also  FaTcirs 
Asia  and  Europe,  quoted,  29; 
referred  to,  79 


Asia's    awakening    a    religious 

one,  29,  58,  80 
Attitude  toward  Christ,  Indian 

student's,  124 
Authority  waning,  of  the  Brah- 

mans  and  the  Vedas,  65 
Avatar,  an,  66 
Awakening  in  India,  29,  57-59, 

64,  66,  80 
Azariah,  Mr.,  91 


B 


Badrinath,  shrine  at,  159 
Baptism,  Chundra  Lela's,  160 
Baptismal  questions,  102 
Baptisms,  123,  125,  127,  129 
Bass  drummer,  196 
Benefits  enumerated  of  British 
rule  in  India,  75-77;  eviden- 
ces of,  78 
Beggars,  roadside,  200 
*' Behind  the  purdah,"   144 
Bengal,  6,  31;   anarchy  in,  66; 
recent    partition    of,    61,    67, 
77;      students     protest,      by 
march  and  cheer,  67,  68 
Bengal  sage,  a,  47 
Bhagavad  Gita,  the,  38,  51,  66 
Bhakti  discussion,  56 
Bible,    179,   203;    classes,   120; 

Eamabai  using,  155 
Bible  stories,  result  of  reading 
the,  130 


263 


264 


INDEX 


Biographies  of  Christians,  some 
typical,  170-173 

Bird's-eye  view  of  India,  193 

Bishop,  Mrs.  Isabella  Bird, 
quoted,  144 

Bomb-throwing  and  shooting 
condemned,  60 

Bombay,  24,  30,  189;  univer- 
sity at,  114 

Boycott  of  British  goods,  61 

Brahma,   43 

Brahman,  caste,  14-16,  97; 
priests'  life  and  spirit,  153, 
192;  students,  113;  temple 
of  Alwar  Tiru  Nagari,  93 

Brahmanas,  the,  37 

Brahman 's  view,  of  female  edu- 
cation, 142;  of  education  in 
mission  schools,  117 

Brahmo  Samaj,  the,  52,  53 

Bravery,  of  General  Nicholson, 
209;  of  students  with  magic 
lantern,  198 

Bride  and  widow,  a  contrast, 
149,   150 

Britain.      See    Great   Britain 

British  government  in  India, 
69,  70,  74;  benefits  of,  75- 
78;  problem,  78 

Brotherhood  principle,  66,  107 

Budda  and  Buddhism,  30,  31, 
40,  65;  degrading  view  of 
woman,  140 

Buhler,  Georg,  translation  of 
Laws  of  Manu,  quoted,  14,  15 

Bullock-cart  travel,  197 

Burma,  30,  189 


Cairns,  Principal,  56 

Calcutta,  meetings  in,  121,  122; 
revolutionary  center,  60;  uni- 
versity at,  114 

Caldwell,  Bishop,  92,  100; 
quoted,  151 


Camp  life  in  India,  discomforts 
of,  183 ;  work  done  in  a  year 
of,  202 

Canada,  3-5,  9,  17,  67,  123; 
model  constitution,  to  Indian 
reformers,  78 

Canadian  and  United  States 
elements  of  nationality  and 
unity,  3-5 

Cape  Comorin,  85,  189;  church 
and  temple  at,  89 

Carey,  William,  alluded  to,  114, 
205;  library  at  Serampore, 
203 

Carmichael,  Miss,  and  the  trade 
in  girls,   152,   153 

Caste,  12-14,  129;  bonds  of,  re- 
laxing, 18,  63;  evils  of,  14- 
20;  good  effects  of,  16;  prob- 
lems of,  for  Church,  18,  19, 
102-108 

Castes,  four  original  and  three 
present  divisions,  14;  later  or 
**  fifth  order,"  14;  move- 
ments among  middle  and 
others,  97;  statistics  of,  13, 
14,  108 

Census,  of  India,  for  1911,  on 
population,  5;  for  1901,  main 
statistics,  5-9,  19,  30,  115, 
146,  149,  193,  241-244;  of 
United  States  for  1910,  on 
urban  population,  19;  for 
1900,   on   illiteracy,   9 

Ceylon,  31 

Chaitanya,  a  Bengal  sage,  47 

Challenge  to  discuss  religion  ac- 
cepted, with  ill  results,  127, 
128 

Changed  cross,  a,  158 

** Changeless  East,''  no  longer, 
57 

Chetty  caste,  129 

Child  marriage  and  child  wives, 
statistics  of,  146,  147;  suf- 
ferings of,  138 


INDEX 


265 


Cholera  among  Telugus,  9 

Children  for  sale,  24;  rescued, 
25 

China  Inland  Mission,  156 

Chirol,  Valentine,  quoted,  116; 
referred  to,  69 

Chota  Nagpur,  99 

Christ.     See   Jesns   Christ. 

Christian,  Church  in  India, 
165;  ideas  and  educated  In- 
dians, 49,  50;  missions,  see 
Missions;  schools  and  col- 
leges, see  Educational  worlc; 
unity,  170 

Christianity,  influence  of,  64 

Christian's  savings,  a,  and  un- 
just landowner,  178 

Christians,  increasing  number 
of,  85,  165,  259;  some  faulty 
ones,  96 

Chucklers,  contrasted  villages  of 
103;  outlook,  105 

Chundra  Lela,  child  widow  of 
Nepal,  158-161 

Church  of  England  Christians, 
90 

Church,  work  of  the,  187-189 

Civil  service  appointments  in 
India,  78 

Civilizations,  conflicting,  68 

Climate  of  India,  174 

Clough,  Dr.,  a  missionary  Na- 
poleon, 94;    baptisms  by,   95 

Ccllege,  boys  from  Telugu  mis- 
sion, 96;  education  for  girls, 
statistics,  142;  meeting,  a 
typical,  128 

Color  and  education,  68 

** Commercial  India"  and  the 
boycott,  62 

Comparative  administrative  and 
military  force  in  India  and 
the  Philippines,  78 

Complexity  of  Hinduism,  32- 
48;  influence  of  Christianity, 
49-53,  64-66 


Conditions  in  lower  castes,  15 

Confucianism,  40 

Congested  centers  of  popula- 
tion, three,  5 

Conscience  develops  slowly,  123 

Consorts  of  the  gods,  47 

Contrasts  between  peoples  and 
faiths  of  Asia  and  Europe, 
29 

Convert  tested,  a,  104 

Converts,  84-113,  121-134,  151- 
156,  179-182,  205 

Conviction  of  sin  and  need  of 
the  gospel,  92 

Coorg,  6 

Corrupt  officials,  79 

Council  of  Jerusalem,  a  minia- 
ture, 106,  107 

Crisis,  India's  present,  53,  80, 
81 

Cromer,  Lord,  referred  to,  21 

Crooke,  W.,  quoted,  20 

Custom,  pressure  of,  10, 12,  201 ; 
in  child  marriages,  148 

Curzon,  Lord,  67 


D 


Dadabhai  Naoroji,  M.  P.,  21 
Dandis,  or  staff-bearers,  46 
Datta,   S.   K.,   quoted,   2,    112, 

146,  192 
Day,  Samuel,  93 
Debt     incurred     and    paid,     a 

worker's,  215 
Decisions,  made,  129,  132,  133, 

181;    tested,    130,    131,    133, 

134,  182 
Degradation  of  woman   in  In- 
dia,   140,    141;    Christianity 

by  contrast,  154 
Delhi  in  the  Mutiny,  209 
Demon  temple  relic,  a,  90 
Deserted  by  their  gods,  92 
Devadasis,  the,   150;  statistics, 

151 


2rt56  INDEX 

Devil  worship,  90,  93,  103  Evangelistic  meetings  for  stu- 

Devil's    society    leader,    a    con-  dents,   121 

vert,  132-134  Evils  and  benefits  of  caste,  16 

Devotional  or  evangelistic  meet-  Examinations,   university,    114 

ings  in  colleges,  120,  121 

Dirge,  a  South  India,  146       ^  p 
Discomforts    of    camp    life    in 

India,  183  Faiths,  Semitic  and  Aryan,  29 

Discouragements,  184  Fakir,  a  woman,  160 

Disgrace  in  becoming  a  Chris-  Fakirs,  at  Allahabad,  48;  bur- 

tian,  125  den    on    people,    22;    fraud 

Diverse  speech  a  barrier  to  na-  practised,   192 

tional  unity,  9  Famines,  1,  22;  aid  of  Chris- 
Divorce  not  allowed,  148  tianity,  22-25,  92-94;  details 
Dowries,  147  of  that  of  1900,  22-25;  Eam- 
Dravidian  race,  5,  6  abai's  experience  in  1877, 
Du  Bois,  Abbe,  referred  to,  15  155;  statistics,  22,  76 
Duff,  Alexander,  educational  in-  Farquhar,  Mr.,  quoted,  65 

fluence,  114  Fatalism,  42 

Duma,  an  unoflScial,  60  Female   energies  in  nature,  47 

Dutt,  K,   C,  estimate  of  aver-  Financial  problem,  solving  the, 

age  Indian  income,  21  216-219 

Dwarakanath,     in     Kathiawar,  Foreign    interference    resented, 

159  59 ;     manufacturers    crowded 

out,  62 

E  French  Revolution  referred  to, 
70 

East  and  the  West,  The,  quoted,  Fuller,  Mrs.  M.  B.,  quoted,  138 

143 

Edinburgh    Conference    Educa-  G 

tional  Commission,  119 

Education  of  women  now  fav-  Ganesha,    elephant-headed    god, 

ored,  64  182,  183 

Educational     work,     112,     113,  Ganges,   worship    on  banks   of, 

119-136;  aid  in  uplift,  5;  aim  48 

in,    119;    India    system,    76,  Garde,  Dr.,  56 

114-118;  statistics,  115  Generous  givers,  176,  177 

Elements    of   unity    in    Canada  Germany,  56 

and  United  States,  3,  4  *' Gilt-edged "     investment,     a, 

Empire  of  Christ,  referred  to,  212,  213 

18  God,  as  known  to  Christianity, 

England's    position    in    India,  44,  49,  81,  97,  126,  162;  gods 

79,  80  of  other  faiths,  35,  37,  39-49, 

English,    character,    163;    Ian-  200 

guage  and  student  class,  113,  Good  and  evil,  a  Hindu  view  of, 

116,  117  39,  45 


INDEX 


267 


Gopal  worship,  47 

Groreh,  Nehemiah,  Eamabai  in- 
fluenced by,  156 

Government  of  India  by  Brit- 
ain, 73 ;  agitation  against, 
74;  benefits  of,  75-77;  de- 
mands of,  by  new  movement, 
77,  78;  problem  of,  78;  ques- 
tion of  permanence,  79-81 

Governor-General,  73 

Great  Britain,  income  in,  con- 
trasted with  that  of  India, 
21;  relations  to  India,  67-81 

Great  Beligions  of  India,  The, 
referred  to,  32 

Guru,  a  Brahman's,  172 


Haidarabad,  Indian  mission  in, 
91 

Hatred  of  Christ  shovm  in  a 
Hindu  home,  129 

Heredity  of  Hinduism,  125 

High-caste  convert,  a,  129-131 

High  motives  unknown  to  many 
at  first,  101 

Higher  education,  the,  116 

Himalayas,  189 ;  Buddhism  in 
districts  bordering  on,  30 

Hindu,  pantheon  doomed,  206; 
thinking,  effects  of,   44 

Hindu,  The,  quoted  on  dancing- 
girls,  151 

Hindu  Social  Eeform  Associa- 
tion of  Madras,  151 

Hinduism,  elements  of,  32-40; 
failure  of,  153;  injustice  to 
woman,  141-161 

Holy  Spirit,  work  of,  106,  145 

Home  surroundings  of  an  edu- 
cated Indian,  136 

Honor  shown  to  woman  in  some 
Hindu  literature,  139 

Hopkins,    Professor,    of    Yale, 


quoted  on  the  Hindu  moral 
code,  40 

Horse,  essay  on  the,  by  a  Bom- 
bay student,  117 

Hostility  to  Christ  a  student 
attitude,  125 


Ideals  and  customs  in  national 
unity,  10 

Ignorance  among  women,  142 

Illiteracy,  India's  comparative, 
9 

Imitation  and  independence, 
adolescent  phenomena,  59,  60 

Immoral  deities,  39,  40,  51,  150- 
153 

India,  area,  243 ;  caste  problem, 
12-19;  Christian  population, 
165;  climate,  174;  conserva- 
tism, 10,  19;  education  and 
illiteracy,  9,  114,  115;  fakir^ 
22,  192;  famines,  22;  gov- 
ernment, 73;  immorality,  39, 
40,  51,  144,  150-153;  indus- 
trial revolution,  61,  62;  lan- 
guages, 7,  8;  missionaries, 
165 ;  missionary  educational 
work,  84;  mission  movement, 
83-109,  163-219;  need,  53, 
211;  new  ideals,  60-67,  121; 
population,  5,  241;  poverty, 
20,  21,  72,  177;  Protestant 
Christians,  165;  religions,  27, 
30-53;  statistics,  see  Statis- 
tics; student  field,  113-136; 
universities,  114;  unrest,  60- 
73;  villages,  19,  193,  207; 
widows,  148,  149;  woman's 
wrongs  and  uplift,  137-162 

Indian  Missionary  Society  of 
Tinnevelli,  91,  205 

Indian  Unrest,  quoted,  69,  116 


INDEX 


Individual  work  and  mass  move- 
ments, 100 

Individuality,  English,  a  bar- 
rier, 164 

Indo-Aryans,  6 

Indo-Germanic  race,  6 

Industrial,  movement,  61,  62; 
mission  work,  193 

Infanticide,  153 

Inquirers  visited,  180 

Intellectual  awakening,  64,  65 

Interrelations  of  people  of  Can- 
ada and  the  United  States,  4, 
5 

** Isaiah/'  a  Christian  worker, 
172 

Italy,  56 


Jainism,  65 

Japan,  changes  in,  58;  effect 
of  victory  on  Eastern  peoples, 
68;  schools  compared  with 
those  of  India,  120 

Jesus  Christ,  attractiveness,  50, 
89,  90,  122,  123,  130,  196; 
character,  51,  121,  122;  good 
effects  of  his  gospel,  26,  89- 
93,  98,  103,  108,  140,  142, 
158 ;  hatred  of  or  hostility  to, 
125,  129 ;  name  hissed  in  a 
Hindu  audience  discussing 
Bhakti,  56;  obeyed,  206,  209- 
219;  presented  at  student 
meetings,  121-123,  128-134; 
received,  95,  125,  133,  198; 
revered,  50,  89,  90,  112,  124; 
upheld  and  made  known,  131, 
160,  161,  171,  181,  210-217 

Jewett,  Dr.,  94 

Jews  in   India,  30 

Jones,  J.  P.,  quoted,  84,  164 

Juggernaut,  shrine  of,  159 

Jungle  woman  a  convert,  205 

Jumna  River,  157 


Kabirpanthis,  new  sect,  32 
Kanarese,  language,  8 
Karma,  doctrine  of,  41,  45 
Kashmir,  Mohammedans  in,  31 
Khandoba,    girls    dedicated    to 

the  god,  151 
Kingsbury,  Francis,  129-131 
Kipling,    Rudyard,    quoted    on 

marriage    customs    in    India, 

144 
Kistna,  sacred  river,  97 
Koran  and  womanhood,  141 
Korean  changes,  58 
Krishna,     commands     of,     66; 

contrasted    with   Christ  in  a 

lecture,   46,  51;    immoral  in- 

jauence     of,     151-153,     159; 

worship  of,  in  Bengal,  39 
Krishna  Eao  marries  a  widow, 

149;  result,  149 
Kshatriyas,  or  warriors,  13 
Kumbh  mela,  48 
Kyamba,  story  of,  103,  104 


Lahore,  University  at,  114 
Land  yet  to  be  possessed,  208 
Language   affinity    a  basis   for 

national  unity,  4,  6 
Latham,  Miss  J.  L.,  quoted,  144 
Laws  of  Manu,  quoted,  14,  15, 

141,  142 
Lecturer's  tact,  a,  52 
Lefroy,  quoted,  164 
Legislative   Council,   Viceroy's, 

74 
Leper  girPs  story,  157,  158 
Letter    from    a   burdened    mis- 
sionary, 187 
Letters  of  thanks  to  lady  doc- 
tors, 118,  119 
Liberty  ideals  differ,  11,  12 
Lines  of  work,  varied,  194 


INDEX  269 

Literature,    available    and  Metcalf ,  Lord,  quoted,  75 

needed,  120,  194  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in 

"Lone  Star  Mission,"  93,  94  North  India,  99 

Love  is  the  key,  127  Midnapore,  in  Bengal,  160 

Lucas,  Bernard,  quoted,  28;  re-  Mills,  Samuel  J.,  Jr.,  203 

f erred  to,  18  Mission,  compound,  174;  educa- 

Lucknow,  Conference  in,  32  tional   work,    112;    movement 

Lyall,    Sir   Alfred,   quoted,   42,  and  results,  84-109,  163-219; 

69;  referred  to,  200  station,    175,    176;    see    also 

Lyman,  Henry,  212  Statistics 

Missionary's  life,  173-184;  dis- 

M  couragements    and    hardships 
of,    185;    plea   for  sympathy 

Madras,  93,  99;  Bishop  of,  96,  with,  188 

quoted,  197;  Christian  College  Missions,  172-219 

in,   130;    national   unity  din-  Missions    to    Moslems    Confer- 

ner  in,  63;  university  at,  114;  ence,  a,  32 

Madura    Mission,    102,    128;  Modern  Missions   in  the  East, 

church    government,    method  quoted,   101 

of,   167  Mohammedan,    marriage    edict, 

Magic  lantern  and  the  Life  ot  32;     religion,     6,     8,    30-32; 

Christ,  196,  198;  lessons  with  wrong  to  womanhood,  140 

the,  180,  181  Mongolian  race,  5,  6 

Malas,    movement    among    the,  Monotheism,  37 

96  Monsoon,  21;   a  spiritual,  67 

Malayalam,  language,  8  Morality,  Christian,  66 

Manu,  laws  of,  14,  15,  60,  98,  Morley,  Lord,  plan  of   for  In- 

141,  142,  148  dia,  74;  appreciated,  77,  80 

Manufacturers  in  India,  home-  Moses,  an  Indian  worker,  and 

made  and  foreign,  62  his  income,  177 

Many  gods  of  Hinduism,  200  Mother-in-law,  the  Indian,  147 

Maratha     country.     Mongoloid  '* Motherhood  of  God,"  140 

races  in,  6  "Motherland,"  140 

Marriage  customs  of  India,  64,  Mott,  John  R.,  quoted,  211 

143,  144,  146  Mozumdar,  quoted,  136 

Martyn,  Henry,  203,  218  Miiller,  George,  156 

Mass  movements,  84,  85,  92,  93,  Miiller,  Max,  14 

97,  98;  expression  explained,  Mutiny,  referred  to,  209 

100;    fears  and  hopes  from, 

102  N 
Maya,  illusion,  40 

Medical  mission  work,  194,  259  Nagercoil  church  and  congrega- 

Melas,  as  showing  tendencies  of  tion,  85,  88 

the  people,  47,  48;   fraud  of  National  Congress,  the  Indian, 

priests  at,   192;    opportunity  60,  63;  prayer  offered  at,  66, 

for  mission  work,  198-202  249 


270  INDEX 

*' National    Ideals/'    the   five,  Pasumalai,   mission   college  at, 

121  128 

National  Missionary  Society  of  Patriotic  ideals  altered,  63 

India,  203 ;  its  work,  204  Permanent    help    from    disease 

Nationality,  strength  of  in  Oe-  and    famine    through    Chris- 

cident  as  compared  with  In-  tianity  only,  26 

dia,  45,  56,  65;  transforming  Persia  changing,  58 

power  in  Japan,  71  Personal  deities,  45 

Nature   worship   of  the  Vedas,  Phillips,  Dr.  and  Mrs.,  160 

52  Pilgrimage   of   a    child   widow, 

Nautch-girls,  138,  151  159-161 

NeUore,  94  Pilgrimage  throngs,  48 

Nepal,  a  convert  at,  160  Plunderers,  India's,  74 

New,  movement's  demands,  77;  Political  new  thought  in  India, 

sects,  32  59;  parties  in  National  Con- 
New  sects,  India's,  32  gress,  60,  61 
Nicholson,  General,  209  Polytheism,  42,  43 
Norse,  Greek,  and  Koman  gods  Populations    in    various    world 

forgotten,  206  governments,   comparison    of, 

3-6 
O  Poverty,     causes     unrest,     72; 
„,    ^     ,      ^        .    .             110  conditions  compelling,  62;  de- 
Obstacles  to  mission  work,  18  scription  of,  21,  22,  25,  26 
Old  order  breaking  up  m   In-  p^-^bhasa,  5 

dia,  7^  Prayer,   at    National    Congress, 

Old  slave  song,  89  6^   2^9;  to  the  true  God,  96, 

Omnipotence,  symbol  of,  42  97     ^gO,    134-136,    156,    218; 

One-talent  man    a    171  to  heathen  gods,  160 

Ongole    work  at,  94  p          ^^      jgO,  194 

Opportumty  for  advance,  108  p^.^^^^     ^^  Brahmans,  in  Hindu 

Our  urgent  duty,   210  ^^^^-         ,^^trol,    13-15;    36, 

Outcastes    14-16,  103  37;   fraud  and  levity  toward 

Outlook  for  Christianity  in  In-  ^^^  pg^pig^  192 

dia,  165  Princeton  friend  in  Bombay,  a, 

P  24 

Prison  convert,  a,  50 

Panchamas,       the       ''untouch-  Prophecy,  Lord  Miicaulay's,  75 

ables,"  14  Protestant   Christian   forces   in 

Pantheism,  38,  45  India,  statistics,  165 

Pariah,    a   Christian,   105;    life  Punjab,  6,  31 

transformed,  107,  108  Puri,  Bengal,  shrine  at,  159 
* '  Pariah  religion ' '  a,  102 

Pariahs,  the,  15,  25  R 
Paris   and    Calcutta  as  revolu- 
tionary centers,  60  Races,    India's   three   great,   5 
Parsees,  30,  80  Radha  and  Krishna,  51 


INDEX 


271 


Kama,  46 

Rama's  bridge,  159 

Eamabai,  Pandita,  school  and 
work,  154-156 

Eameswaram,  Ceylon,  159 

Rammohun  Roy,  52 

Rats  regarded  as  incarnating 
relatives,  42 

Reforms  among  non- Christian 
religions,  113 

Regular  channels  best  for  giv- 
ers, 214 

Religions  of  India,  table  of,  30 

Religious  instinct  of  Indian 
people,  11,  33^  80 

Remarriage  of  widows  forbid- 
den, 149 

Responses  to  famine  appeal,  25 

Restraints  of  Hinduism  and  Mo- 
hammedanism on  woman,  139 

Reviews  and  magazines,  new  di- 
rection, 62 

Revival,  a,  171 

*' Revival"  movement  of  Hin- 
duism, 49,  50 

Rhenius  at  work  in  Tinnevelli, 
92 

'^Rice  Christians,"  97,  98,  105 

Rig-Veda,  37 

Ringletaube,  pioneer  mission- 
ary, 86 

Ritualism,  36,  37 

Rohilcand  District,  mass  move- 
ment, 99 

Roman  Catholics,  165,  242 

Romance  languages,  8 

Rudra,  45 


S 


Sacred  BooTcs  of  the  East,  14 
Salvation  Army  methods,  202 
Sannyasis,  200 
Sanskrit    literature    and    Greek 

compared,  41 
Sakti  worship,  39 


Schools  for  girls,  142,  143 
Schwartz,    Christian    Friedrich, 

pioneer  missionary,  91 
Scythian  blood  in  India,  6 
Seclusion  of  women,  144 
Sects,  new,  45 

Self-government    in    India,    60, 
61;    for   the   Indian   Church, 
166-170 
Self-support  problem,   166-170 
Sermon  on  the  Mount,  124 
Service  and  prayer,  217 
Shaivism,  46 
Sharrock,  Mr.,  quoted  on  camp 

life,  183 
Shiva,  and  Shaivas,  45,  46 
Shiva  and  Vishnu  cult,  46 
Sikhs,  30,  32 
Sin,  results  of,  122 
*' Sin-cleansing  fountain,"  Ali- 

garh's,  201 
Sita,  Rama's  wife,  139 
Size   and   population   of   India, 

193,  241 
Slater,  T.  E.,  quoted,  39,  44 
Slavery,  former,  in  Travancore, 

86,  87 
Sleepy  hearers,   182 
Small  salaries,  171,  215 
Smith,  S.  F.,  lines  by,  94 
Snake  Temple,  88 
Social  service  ideals,  63,  64 
Society  for  the  Propagation  of 
the  Gospel  in  Foreign  Parts, 
92 
Solomon's  story,  170,  171 
South   India,   college   meetings, 

132;    famine,  41 
*' Special"  objects,  214 
Speculation,  an  element  in  Hin- 
duism, 37 
Spiritual  monsoon,  a,  67 
Statistics,    258;     Animists,    30, 
36,    243;    area,    241;    Budd- 
hists, 30,  243 ;  caste  divisions, 
14,    108;    child    wives,    146; 


272  INDEX 

Christians,  30,  165,  242,  243,  Teachers,  need  of,  in  Christian 

259;    civil    offices,    78;    edu-  colleges,    135;    women,    143, 

cation,  76,  114,  115,  142,  243,  161 

245-248,  259;  famine  loss  of  Telegraph  lines,  76 

life,  22,  76;  gods,  200;   Hin-  Telugus,  169;  country,  93,  99; 

dus,  30,  165,   243;   illiteracy,  evangelists,  169;  Indian  mis- 

9,  243;  income  of  people,  21,  sionaries  among,  91;  mission 

177;     irrigation    canals,    75;  to    the,    and    results,    93-95; 

mass  movements,  88,  90,  95,  needs  of  the,  197 

99,  197;  medical  and  surgical  Temple  girls,  151,  152 

work,  76,  87,  194,  259;  mela  Tent  life,  194,  196 

attendance,     48;     Mohamme-  Testimony  of  a  Hindu  convert, 

dans,  6,  30,  31,  165,  243;  na-  131 

tive  workers,  216,  259;  popu-  The  Northwest  Provinces  of  In- 

lation,   5,   241;    press  issues,  dia,  quoted,  20 

120;  railroads,  19,  75;  roads  Thoburn,  Bishop,  quoted,   197  j 

macadamized,      75;      Roman  referred  to,  114 

Catholics,       242;       telegraph  Three  attitudes  of  Indian  stu- 

lines,     76;     temple     women,  dents,  125 

151;    trade,   76;    troops,   78;  Threefold  aim  in  Christian  edu- 

unevangelized         population,  cation,  119 

208;    village    population,    19,  Tibet,  31 

193,   207;    widows,   149;    wo-  Tilak,  Mr.,  56,  63 

men,    140,    161;    work    of    a  Tinnevelli,    99;     Christians    in, 

year,    202;    zenana    inmates,  90-93,  169;  *' Indian  Mission- 

114  ary  Society  of,''  91,  205 

Student    class,    113;    questions  Tirupuvanam,  159 

and    answers,    65,    126,    127;  Touring    with    the    missionary, 

study    abroad,    62;    subjects  179-183 

chosen,  116  Townsend,     Meredith,     quoted. 

Success,      embarrassments      of,  29;    view    concerning    India, 

176  79 

Sudras,  13,  15  Tranquillity,    rules    for    attain- 

Sureudra       Nath       Bannerjea,  ing,  38 

quoted,  77  Transportation     facilities,     In- 

' '  Swadeshi, ' '  watchword,  61,  62  dia 's,  19 

"Swaraj,"  watchword,  61  Travancore,   98;    Christians   in, 

Syrian  Church,  the  ancient,  204  85,  87,  88;  former  conditions, 

86,   87 

T  Travel   discouraged  among  na- 
tives, 19 

Table   of  India's   religions,  30  Triad,  Hindu,  46 

Tagore,  Mr.,  quoted,  151  Triumph  sure,   of   Christianity, 

Talents   hoarded,   214  206 

Tamil  Christians,  169,  205         |  Turkey's  revolution,  59 

Taxation  in  India,  72,  77,  78     j  Types,  race,  6 


INDEX 


273 


Unitarianism  of  the  Bramo- 
Samaj,  52 

*' United  Churcli  of  South  In- 
dia, 170 

United  States,  67,  123;  con- 
trast with  India  as  to  caste 
problem,  17;  railway  mileage 
contrasted  with  that  of  In- 
dia, 19 ;  urban  population  by 
contrast,  19 

Universities,  plan  of  for  India 
and  Ceylon,   114 

University  of  London,  referred 
to,  114 

Unreal  personality,  in  Aryan 
teaching,   38-40 

Unrest,  causes  of  India's,  67, 
69-73 

Upanishads,  37,  43,  65 

Uplifted  community,  96,  98 

Urdu,  a  dialect,  8 


Vaisyas,  or  traders,  13 
Varuna,  37 

Vedantic  philosophy,  43,  44,  51 
Vedas,  37;  upheld  by  the  Arya 

Samaj,  52 
Venkayyas,  prayer  of  and  ans- 
wer,  96,  97 
Vernacular  language,  120 
Viceroy  of  India,   73,   74 
Villages,  2,  19,  193,  207 
Vishnu  and  Vishnavites,  45-47 


Votes  and  tithes  in  an  Indian 
church,  176 

W 

Welcome  to  inquirers,  a  policy 
of,  100,  102 

Western  education's  effect  on 
the  Indian  mind,  71;  meth- 
ods copied,  59,  60 

Western,  M.  P.,  quoted,  144 

Widowhood  in  India,  148;  in- 
cidents of,  150;  statistics  of, 
149 

Williams,  Monier,  quoted,  46 

Williamstown,  Massachusetts, 
203 

Woman,  code  of  Manu,  and, 
141,  148;  under  Buddhism, 
Hinduism,  and  Mohammedan- 
ism, 140 

Women,  supposed  to  be  brain- 
less, 142;  teachers  needed, 
143,  161 

Workers  among  students,  re- 
quirements of,  119 

World  Missionary  Conference, 
Eeport,  quoted,  100 


Young    Men's   Hindu    Associa- 
tion, 49 


Zenanas,  the,  144 
Ziegenbalg,  203 


POLITICAL  MAP  OF  INDIA  SHOWING  CHRISTIAN   MISSION  STATIONS 


Forward  Mission  Study  Courses 


"Anywhere,  provided  it  he  forward/' — David  Livingstone, 


Prepared  under  the  direction  of  the 
MISSIONAKY  EDUCATION  MOVEMENT 

OF    THE    UNITED    STATES    AND    CANADA 

Editorial  Committee:  T.  H.  P.  Sailer,  Chairman;  A.  E. 
Armstrong,  T.  B.  Bay,  H.  B.  Grose,  J.  E.  McAfee,  C.  R. 
Watson,  John  W.  Wood,  L.  B.  Wolf,  G.  F.  Sutherland,  H.  P. 
Douglass. 


The  forward  mission  study  courses  are  an  outgrowth  of  a 
conference  of  leaders  in  young  people's  mission  work,  held  in 
New  York  City,  December,  1901.  To  meet  the  need  that 
was  manifested  at  that  conference  for  mission  study  text- 
books suitable  for  young  people,  two  of  the  delegates,  Pro- 
fessor Amos  R.  Wells,  of  the  United  Society  of  Christian 
Endeavor,  and  Mr.  S.  Earl  Taylor,  Chairman  of  the  General 
Missionary  Committee  of  the  Epworth  League,  projected  the 
Forward  Mission  Study  Courses.  These  courses  have  been 
officially  adopted  by  the  Missionary  Education  Movement,  and 
are  now  under  the  immediate  direction  of  the  Editorial  Com- 
mittee of  the  Movement.  The  books  of  the  Movement  are  now 
being  used  by  more  than  forty  home  and  foreign  mission 
boards  and  societies  of  the  United  States  and  Canada. 

The  aim  is  to  publish  a  series  of  text-books  covering  the 
various  home  and  foreign  mission  fields  and  written  by  lead- 
ing authorities. 


The  following  toxt-books  having  a  sale  of  900,000  have 
been  published: 

1.  The  Peice  op  Africa.  (Biographical.)  By  S.  Earl 
Taylor. 

2.  Into  All  the  World.  A  general  survey  of  missions. 
By  Amos  R.  Wells. 

3.  Princely  Men  in  the  Heavenly  Kingdom.  (Biograph- 
ical.)    By  Harlan  P.  Beach. 

4.  Sunrise  in  the  Sunrise  Kingdom.  A  study  of  Japan. 
By  John  H.  DeForest. 

5.  Heroes  of  the  Cross  in  America.  Home  Missions. 
(Biographical.)     By  Don  O.  Shelton. 

6.  Daybreak  in  the  Dark  Continent.  A  study  of  Africa. 
By  Wilson  S.  Naylor. 

7.  The  Christian  Conquest  of  India.  A  study  of  India. 
By  James  M.  Thoburn. 

8.  Aliens  or  Americans?  A  study  of  Immigration.  By 
Howard  B.  Grose. 

9.  The  Uplift  of  China.  A  study  of  China.  By  Arthur 
H.  Smith. 

10.  The  Challenge  of  the  City.  A  study  of  the  City. 
By  Josiah  Strong. 

11.  The  Why  and  How  op  Foreign  Missions.  A  study 
of  the  relation  of  the  home  Church  to  the  foreign  missionary 
enterprise.     By  Arthur  J.  Brown. 

12.  The  Moslem  World.  A  study  of  the  Mohammedan 
World.     By  Samuel  M.  Zwemer. 

13.  The  Frontier.  A  study  of  the  New  West.  By  Ward 
Piatt. 

14.  South  America:  Its  Missionary  Problems.  A  study  of 
South  America.     By  Thomas  B.  Neely. 

15.  The  Upward  Path:  The  Evolution  of  a  Race.  A 
study  of  the  Negro.     By  Mary  Helm. 

16.  Korea  in  Transition.  A  study  of  Korea.  By  James 
S.   Gale. 

17.  Advance  in  the  Antilles.  A  study  of  Cuba  and 
Porto  Rico.     By  Howard  B.  Grose. 

18.  The  Decisive  Hour  of  Christian  Missions.    A  study 


STATISTICS  OF  PROTESTANT  MISSIONS  IN  INDIA 

Mtn  Snm  the  World  Alias  rf  Chrisaim  Million,.  1910 


111 


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of  conditions  throughout  the  non-Christian  world.    By  John  R. 
Mott. 

19.  India  Awakening.  A  study  of  present  conditions  in 
India.     By  Sherwood  Eddy. 

In  addition  to  these  courses,  the  following  have  been  pub- 
lished especially  for  use  among  younger  persons: 

1.  Uganda's  White  Man  of  Work.  The  story  of  Alex- 
ander Mackay  of  Africa.     By  Sophia  Lyon  Fahs. 

2.  Seevants  of  the  King.  A  series  of  eleven  sketches 
of  famous  home  and  foreign  missionaries.  By  Eobert  E. 
Speer. 

3.  Under  Marching  Orders.  The  story  of  Mary  Porter 
GameweU  of  China.     By  Ethel  Daniels  Hubbard. 

4.  Winning  the  Oregon  Country.  The  story  of  Marcus 
Whitman  and  Jason  Lee  in  the  Oregon  Country.  By  John  T. 
Faris. 

These  books  are  published  by  mutual  arrangement  among 
the  home  and  foreign  mission  boards,  to  whom  all  orders 
should  be  addressed.  They  are  bound  uniformly  and  are 
sold  at  50  cents,  in  cloth,  and  35  cents,  in  paper;  postage^ 
8  cents  extra. 


I'i'm  i'°"  T^^°'09ical  Seminary-Speei 


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